The Man Behind the Name
Lt. Col. Addison E. Baker served as pilot and commanding officer of the 93rd Bomb Group during the August 1, 1943 low-level attack against the Ploesti oil refineries -- Operation Tidal Wave. He piloted B-24D serial 42-86897, leading his formation into the target at extremely low altitude.
Baker's aircraft was struck by anti-aircraft fire over Ploesti and crashed and burned in the town at an altitude of 300 feet or less. He did not survive the crash. Baker was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during this mission.
The crash was witnessed and confirmed by Major Joseph G. Pate Jr., Major George S. Brown, and Captain Carl G. Barthel, all of whom reported seeing the aircraft go down at Ploesti. His loss is documented in MACR-331.
Service record.
Missions flown.
The missions below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.