LITTLE WARRIOR (PIC 1)

NAME

SER

BLK

SERIAL #

RCL/#

V#-P

PHOTO CREDITS

LITTLE WARRIOR

42-94812

490

850

00-1

NARA

Before Name was Applied - Transferred from 490th/850th to 493rd/861st (P)
Lost 29 Jun 44, GER - MACR 6721 - Pilot John H. Hansen (862nd BS)

Info Contributor - Daniel L. Stockton
Shown with Pilot John Jay Oling (standing third from right) at Mountain Home, Idaho, before flying the A/C to the UK.

Info Contributor - Brian Lindner
Jay Oling (490th BG/850th BS) confirms that he flew this plane to England. At no time was it ever called "Little Lakassaky". The crew did want to put on a somewhat risqué name but their concept was squashed as being too bold. The crew then came up with the LITTLE WARRIOR design which was quickly approved. The crew hired a sergeant to paint the design on the nose. It turned out so poorly that Oling removed it and repainted the nose art himself. It remained unchanged until the day that Lt. Hansen's crew went down with the plane. The Co-Pilot, 2nd Lt. Sidney A. Benson of Marblehead, Massachusetts was the only one to make it out of the plane. He was captured as soon as he touched down and within the hour had been murdered. He was shot by a member of the Hitler Youth then beaten by a group of Air Raid Wardens. The crew's regular Radio Operator (Sgt. Jose Romas) was sick that day and his place was taken by Sgt. Billy Gomillion who went down with the plane.