ROUGH RIDERS (V1) (PIC 2)

NAME

SER

BLK

SERIAL #

RCL/#

V#-P

PHOTO CREDITS

ROUGH RIDERS

41-29342

458

755

01-2

MIKE BAILEY

Starboard (Right) Side - Note: Under Co-Pilot's (1st Lt Allen C. Hilborn) window "Quiet!!! Man Sleeping"
Lost 9 Sep 44, GER - MACR 8610 - Pilot Paul W. Stoneburner

Contributor - Darin Scorza
Crew #74 picked up this B-24 on Christmas morning, 1943. They flew via the Southern Route in Jan 44 and arrived in England in Feb. All artwork was done by the Bombardier and Top Turret Gunner/Engineer during downtime on the various stops while en route. They had a two-week stay in Forteleza, Brazil in order to change a defective fuel tank. The crew flew 13 of their 30 missions in #342. The last was on the 12 May 44 mission to Leipzig. While in formation, they lost power on numbers 1, 2, and 3 engines and had to abort near Frankfurt. They decided to try for home instead of Switzerland and jettisoned everything available. Number 1 engine was giving 50% power but 2 and 3 were feathered during the trip across the Channel. They made it to Manston and landed okay. The ship came back to the 458th nearly one month later and flew at least 20 further missions including the 20 Jul 44 mission to Eisenach where, flown by 1Lt. Allen Blum’s crew, ROUGH RIDERS received a flak hit in the number 4 engine and blew a hole in the crankcase, causing heavy drainage of oil and fuel. Lt. Blum flew her back to the base, where 6 miles out at 6,000 feet the three remaining engines quit. He was able to make a dead-stick landing without further damage to plane or crew. ROUGH RIDERS last mission came on 9 Sep 44 while en route to Mainz, Germany. 1Lt. Paul Stoneburner and crew experienced two runaway engines and had to abandon the B-24 near Trier. Eight of the crew evaded back to Allied lines and two were captured.