Sortie2ADB-24Bombed Primary
“Wee Willie”.
Mission 948 · 14 April 1945
Serial
44-50600
B-24H
Fuselage Code
YM
Squadron
409th
Ted's Traveling Circus
Aboard
8
men
The crew.
§ 8 aboard
Name
Position
Serial
Hometown
On this flight
CaptEdward L. McGuire
“Ted”
Pilot
Station 1
O-392667
Shreveport, Louisiana
Completed his tour
Returned
→
2LtVictor H. Hanf
Co-Pilot
Station 2
O-8266262
—
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
→
The load.
§ 5,000 lb aboard
AN-M65
1,000-pounder
5× 1,000 lb
TypeGeneral Purpose · TNT/Amatol
Weight5,000 lb
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
Notes.
§ From the Record
Royan/Pointe de la Coubre area, Gironde Estuary (bypassed German troops). First of two paired Gironde missions. Each ship carried five 1,000 lb. bombs (AN-M65) — the only trip with this size. Very long 10-hour trip. Flight time noted as 8:35 Day P, 1:35 P AZ.