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  B-24D-150-CO "Double Trouble" Serial Number 42-41226  
USAAF
5th AF
43rd BG
65th BS

Click For Enlargement
43rd BG c1943

Aircraft History
Built by Consolidated in San Diego. During July 1942 delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-150-CO Liberator serial number 42-41226. Ferried overseas via Hickam FIeld then across the Pacific to Australia.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG) "Ken's Men", 65th Bombardment Squadron (65th BS). Nicknamed "Double Trouble".

On October 18, 1943 took off from 7 Mile Drome (Jackson) near Port Moresby piloted by 1st. Lt. Stephens with co-pilot F/O Brunswick on a bombing mission against Rabaul. This B-24 was one of nearly eighty B-24 Liberators in a mixed formation of bombers from the 43rd Bombardment Group, 90th Bombardment Group and 380th Bombardment Group. This B-24 was the lead aircraft of the third echelon. The mission was the 65th Bombardment Squadron mission number 280 H.

Inbound to the target, the formation encountered bad weather and aborted the mission and bombed Cape Hoskin instead. Returning from the mission at 8,000', as the formation entered a thunder storm but this B-24 landed safely at 7 Mile Drome. Due to bad weather, the mission cost four bombers: B-24D "Sky Lady" 41-24043, B-24D "Ben Buzzard" 42-40670, B-24D 42-40885 and B-24D 41-41088.

Mission History
On January 29, 1944 crashed at Charters Towers Airfield.

References
Missing Air Crew Report 964 (MACR 964) pages 9-10 October 18, 1943 mission
Ken’s Men Against The Empire Volume II (2019) pages 227 (profile #3), 235 (profiel #3 detail), 284 (photo), 325 (42-41226), 390 (index Double Trouble

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Last Updated
October 14, 2024

 

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B-24

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