“Honkey Tonk Gal / Naked Truth, The”.Over Ploesti.

1st Lt. Hubert H. Womble served as Pilot of B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He flew on approximately 8 missions, the last being the 1 August 1943 low-level raid on the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. The aircraft could not stay in the air after sustaining anti-aircraft damage, and Womble ordered the crew to prepare for a crash landing. He did not bail out. According to crew member Fitzgerald, Womble suffered a leg wound — either from a bullet or from the crash itself — that resulted in the leg being cut off just prior to landing. A separate questionnaire filed by crew member Robert H. Howle (possibly a different crew association) noted a pilot at Hardwick Air Base, England, and described him as a simulated prisoner of war; however the primary questionnaire from Fitzgerald places Womble last seen in England on his way home. Status listed as EUS (evaded/unknown status).

2nd Lt. Lawrence H. Langashire served as Co-Pilot aboard B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, on the 1 August 1943 Ploesti mission. His status is listed as EUS (evaded/unknown status) on the Missing Air Crew Report. No individual casualty questionnaire for Langashire is present in this report.

2nd Lt. Arthur W. Thompson served as Navigator aboard B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He returned to duty (RTD) following the 1 August 1943 Ploesti mission. On 9 November 1945, Thompson, then a student officer at Stewart Field, Newburgh, N.Y., filed a report stating that bombardier William Little was severely injured in the crash and died eight days later in a Romanian hospital. He confirmed that eight other crew members were known to have returned to duty status. In one of the individual casualty questionnaires, Thompson noted that as navigator he gave the pilot a heading for Turkey. His serial number appears in the MACR as both 0-784001 and 0-784181; the latter matches his signature on the 1945 report.

1st Lt. William K. Little served as Bombardier aboard B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He flew approximately 8 missions including the 1 August 1943 low-level raid on the Ploesti oil fields. Little did not bail out; the aircraft was too low. He was severely injured in the crash — he was trapped in the aircraft, sustained a broken leg, and was exposed to gasoline for approximately 8 hours while pinned in the wreckage. He was taken to the 2nd Military Hospital at Sinaia, Romania. Multiple crew members filed casualty questionnaires regarding Little. Accounts describe his death as resulting from a combination of wounds, gasoline vapor poisoning, a broken bladder, and a broken leg — attributed in part to a lack of proper medical care. Crew member Thompson reported that Little died eight days after the crash and was buried at Sinaia, Romania. His parents were officially notified of his death. Status on the MACR is DED (died).

T/Sgt. Mark Fitzgerald (name appears in MACR as 'Pitzgerald, Mahk' due to OCR/transcription error) served as Engineer aboard B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. Fitzgerald filed an individual casualty questionnaire describing the crash landing on 1 August 1943. He was from Fitzgerald, Georgia, and his return address on the questionnaire was listed as 6-3861, AF. Status listed as EUS on the MACR. He confirmed that pilot Womble suffered a leg injury at the time of the crash.

S/Sgt. Howard O. Ford served as Radio Operator aboard B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, on the 1 August 1943 Ploesti mission. He was from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Ford filed an individual casualty questionnaire regarding a crew member identified as Robert H. Howle (Pilot, 0-663978), noting that Howle was last seen at Hardwick Air Base, England, and was described as a liberated prisoner of war. Ford listed prior missions including Rome, La Palma, Naples, Reggio, Messina, and Ploesti. Status on the MACR is EUS.

Sgt. James W. Barker served as Gunner aboard B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group. He was flying as a tail gunner and was also described as an armament man flying as a mail gunner. His serial number appears in the MACR as 13048538 but questionnaires give it as 13048321. Barker was injured in the crash on 1 August 1943. He was semi-conscious when removed from the aircraft and suffered a fragment of explosive shell in the back of his head, with an apparently fractured skull. He was last seen back home in the United States. Two separate individual casualty questionnaires regarding Barker are included in this report. Both confirm he did not bail out, the aircraft being too low, and that he was wounded twice. One questionnaire notes he was last seen unconscious near the plane. Status on the MACR is EUS.

Sgt. John P. English served as Gunner aboard B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, on the 1 August 1943 Ploesti mission. Status is listed as EUS (evaded/unknown status) on the MACR. No individual casualty questionnaire for English is present in this report.

S/Sgt. Jack Reed served as Gunner aboard B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, on the 1 August 1943 Ploesti mission. Status is listed as EUS (evaded/unknown status) on the MACR. No individual casualty questionnaire for Reed is present in this report.

Sgt. Leo Sharp served as Gunner aboard B-24D 42-40265, 409th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group, on the 1 August 1943 Ploesti mission. He returned to duty (RTD) following the mission. No individual casualty questionnaire for Sharp is present in this report.