The Man Behind the Name
§ Biography
Sgt. Walter N. Newport served as ball turret gunner aboard B-24D 42-40617 on the 1 August 1943 mission to Ploesti. He was reported as a battle casualty when the aircraft was lost over the target.
The aircraft received a direct flak hit in the bomb bay at approximately 1400 hours and crashed into a building in the center of Ploesti, exploding on impact. No survivors were observed. His wife, Mrs. Ruth Newport, was listed as next of kin.
Service record.
§ As Catalogued
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Ball Turret Gunner
Serial Number
36199864
Missions flown.
1 catalogued · 01 Aug 1943
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.
№
Date
Target
Aircraft
№ 115
01 Aug 1943
Ploesti Oil Fields
“José Carioca”
→
Sources.
§ Provenance
United States Army Air Forces · National Archives and Records Administration · 1943
Official record
Second Air Division
Roll of Honor
Published