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| USAAF 5th AF 90th BG 400th BS     November 15, 1942  Richard Rudd 1983  M Musumeci 2007 |
Pilot Lt. Dale J. Thornhill (survived) Grant County, OK Force Landed November 15, 1942 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Consolidated in San Diego. Constructor Number 513. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-1-CO Liberator serial number 41-23718. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG), 400th Bombardment Squadron (400th BS). Nicknamed "The Condor" with the nose art of a condor bird. Mission History On November 15, 1942 took off from Iron Range Airfield piloted by Dale Thornhill on a bombing mission against New Guinea. Returning, this B-24 experienced fuel transfer problems and made a force landing wheels down on Quintel Beach near Iron Range. Wreckage Attempts to salvage this bomber by raising the left wing and lower the landing gear failed. The propellers and cowlings were removed from he undamaged right wing and other salvageable gear was removed. Afterwards, the rest of the B-24 was abandoned. Today, pieces of wreckage remain on Quintel Beach. Richard Rudd adds: "When I was working around Iron Range in the late 50s, there was an old cattleman, who used to run a pack team from Coen to Iron Range during the war, Hans Samuel Carlsen, a tall gangly fellow. His bush nickname was 'Spider'. He used to tell may funny stories about the US troops there, and mentioned the 'big bang' when the bomb load blew up. Near Quintell Beach, he had a cottage/shack, made of bush materials, and on visiting there one time he showed me the big liquid compass that he had been given from the B-24 "The Condor" on the beach. He showed me the spot where there were some bits sticking out of the sand. He had been gold mining on Horn Island at the start of the war and told me he saw the first Jap plane shot down over the Cape. And the ring he wore, was made of white metal from the engine, and the horse's head inlay, was of gold that he had mined." References NARA - World War II Army Enlistment Records - Dale J. Thornhill USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-1-CO Liberator 41-23718 Roger Marks booklet, pages 24-25 Thanks to Richard Rudd for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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