Sortie2BDB-24Bombed Primary
“Alley Cat”.Over Lippstadt.
Mission 665 · 05 October 1944 · Lippstadt, Germany
Serial
42-95168
B-24H
Fuselage Code
YM
Squadron
409th
Ted's Traveling Circus
Aboard
10
men
The crew.
§ 10 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
CaptEdward L. McGuire
“Ted”
Pilot
Station 1
O-392667
Shreveport, Louisiana
Completed his tour
Returned
→
CaptKenneth L. Gilbert
“Ken”
Co-Pilot
Station 2
O-542404
—
Returned
→
2LtCharles D. Sill
Navigator
Station 3
O-723449
—
Returned
→
2LtJoseph A. Dondero
Bombardier
Station 4
O-722777
—
Returned
→
T/SgtCornelius J. Leach
“Bill”
Engineer / Top Turret
Station 5
42056289
—
Returned
→
S/SgtDonald M. South
“Don”
Radio Operator
Station 6
31305999
—
Returned
→
S/SgtWilliam H. Gardner
“Shorty”
Waist Gunner
Station 8
33710942
—
Completed his tour
Returned
→
S/SgtEdward S. Powell
“Ed”
Waist Gunner
Station 8
33805719
—
Returned
→
S/SgtBarney C. Eller
Tail Gunner
Station 9
34828795
—
Returned
→
S/SgtTheodore F. Szajna
“Snafoo”
Nose Gunner
36164043
—
Returned
→
In their own words.
§ 4 entries
Edward L. McGuirePilot
Pilot on first combat mission. Memoir pp. 085-087.
Kenneth L. GilbertCo-Pilot
Veteran pilot (on his 71st mission) riding co-pilot seat per 93rd policy of pairing new crews with experienced pilots. Memoir p. 085.
Charles D. SillNavigator
Regular navigator; on crew for M1-M4 before transfer to lead crew.
Joseph A. DonderoBombardier
Regular bombardier; on crew for M1-M4 before transfer to lead crew.
The flight.
§ Ship’s Record
The Day
Took off fromHardwick (Sta. 104)
Landed atHardwick (Sta. 104)
The Record
ResultBombed Primary
Record confidenceValidated against a source
Formation
Flew with409th Squadron
Fuel & Equipment
H2X scope photoNo
The target.
§ As Briefed
LippstadtAirfield
LocationLippstadt, Germany
Notes.
§ From the Record
M1 (first mission). Plane: 168 'Y', B-24J, 409th — identified as "Alley Cat" (42-95168). Captain Kenneth Gilbert (on his 71st mission) rode co-pilot seat per 93rd policy of pairing new crews with a veteran pilot. Prop-wash from another aircraft inverted the plane near bombs-away; crew salvoed bombs while inverted — bombs hit a crossroads dead center. Crew was posted MIA on return. McGuire called the target Paderborn; official target was Lippstadt M/Y.