NAME

TP

-

M#

SER

-

BLK

-

MF

SERIAL #

AF

BG

BS

SC

RCL/#

V#-P

PHOTO CREDITS

ARCHIBALD

B

-

24

H

-

15

-

CF

41-29595

8

453

733

F8

S

00-1

N/A

Info Contributor - Tom Brittan
RCL changed from S in Jul 44 to S+ and in Nov 44 to P+. Flew 64 combat and 2 truckin' missions with 453rd BG between 12 May 44 and 21 Jan 45. On the 27 Sep 44 mission to Kassel, flown by Lt. Norman J. Putman, it force landed at Ghent, Belgium. After repairs, it returned to Old Buckenham and flew its next mission on 29 Nov 44. On 1 Jan 45, it slid off the runway at Old Buckenham on take-off and came to a halt, badly damaged, on the rough frozen airfield. Lt. Virgil E. Smith and his crew escaped injury. On the 21 Jan 45 mission to Heilbronn marshalling yards, the extremely low temperature froze the fuel transfer pumps. After attempts to transfer fuel failed, Lt. Richard C. Bussell and his crew bailed out and the aircraft crashed at Charleville, about 6 miles N of Sézanne, France, where it was salvaged by 5 SAD on 28 Jan 45.

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