Service File · AircraftB-24H409th Bombardment SquadronCrashed
“Jitters From Bitters”
Serial
42-95204
Tail Code
YM
Radio Call
I · Item
Catalogued Missions
16

The Ship
Piloted by Lieutenant David 'Brandy' Brandfass, this aircraft (call sign 204-I) was crippled by flak on the November 25, 1944 Bingen/Bingerbruck mission, losing two engines and its Gee box, and was belly-landed on a soft mesh airstrip near Ghent, Belgium. A second takeoff attempt to fly it home failed when it sank into marshy ground; the crew was extracted separately by a borrowed B-17.
The aircraft's nose art was painted by radio operator Leo Hebert, at the crew chief's request, after years of ground crew duty at Hardwick without a named plane. Hebert used enamel paint scrounged in red, yellow, and white to depict the name and a foaming mug of bitters, the English ale served at the pub near the base.
Data plate.
§ Record of Type
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Co. · Willow Run, Mich.
Fiscal Year
FY 1942
Block Number
25
Full Designation
B-24H-25-FO
Version
B-24H
Finish
Natural Metal
Sortie log.
16 flights · oldest first
Date
Target
Type
Pilot · Crew
22 MAY 1944
Target unrecorded
Lt. Charlebois · 9 aboard
→
09 OCT 1944
Target unrecorded
Lt. Dobbs · 10 aboard
→
12 OCT 1944
Osnabrück
Marshalling Yard
Lt. Brandfass · 9 aboard
→
24 DEC 1944
Ahrweiller
Unknown
Lt. Dignam · 9 aboard
→
25 DEC 1944
Hallschlag
Communications Centre
Lt. Dignam · 9 aboard
→
30 DEC 1944
Mechernich
Marshalling Yard
Lt. Bridgeman · 9 aboard
→
05 JAN 1945
Target unrecorded
Lt. Bridgeman · 9 aboard
→
06 JAN 1945
Bonn Rhine H/B
Highway Bridge
Lt. Bridgeman · 10 aboard
→
03 FEB 1945
Magdeburg/Rothensee
Oil Industry
Lt. Belter · 9 aboard
→
06 FEB 1945
Magdeburg
Marshalling Yard
Lt. Simpson · 10 aboard
→
22 FEB 1945
Target unrecorded
Lt. Hallgarth · 9 aboard
→
02 MAR 1945
Magdeburg/Rothensee O/I
Oil Industry
Lt. Brandfass · 9 aboard
→
03 MAR 1945
Magdeburg/Rothensee O/R
Oil Refinery
Lt. Brandfass · 9 aboard
→
10 MAR 1945
Target unrecorded
Lt. Tulley · 9 aboard
→
25 MAR 1945
Bucken
Oil Dump
Lt. Bolton · 9 aboard
→
09 APR 1945
Target unrecorded
Lt. Prins · 9 aboard
→
Photographs.
1 on file
Sources.
§ Provenance
http://www.b24bestweb.com/jittersfrombitters1.htm
Website
http://www.b24bestweb.com/jittersfrombitters2.htm
Website
Carroll (Cal) Steward · Nebraska Printing Center · 2007
Published
Plane List
Website
2nd Air Division · 2nd Air Division Digital Archive · 1944
Official record