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  B-24D-150-CO Liberator Serial Number 42-41241  
USAAF
5th AF
380th BG
528th BS

Former Assignments
528th BS

PacificWrecks.com

380th BG Dec 26, 1943

Aircraft History
Built by Consolidated at San Diego built between July 9, 1943 and completed July 17, 1943. Constructors Number 2318. On July 20, 1943 first test flight. On July 22, 1943 delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-150-CO Liberator serial number 42-41241. On July 25, 1943 flown to the modification center in Tucson, AZ and later Tinker Army Air Field to the Oklahoma City Air Depot for installation of a nose turret. On September 17, 1943 flown to the staging area at Lincoln, NE. On September 21, 1943 departs Fairfield Field via Hickam Field then across the Pacific on September 27, 1943 arrives Garbutt Field at Townsville.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 380th Bombardment Group (380th BG), 528th Bombardment Squadron (528th BS) at Fenton Airfield. No known nickname or nose art. Assigned to crew chief MSgt Sydney E. Allen.

On November 11, 1943 took off from Fenton Airfield piloted by Henschke on bombing mission (FEN III-23) over Ambon.

On November 17, 1943 took off from Fenton Airfield piloted by Shaw.

On November 24, 1943 took off from Fenton Airfield piloted by Hastings.

On December 3, 1943 took off from Fenton Airfield piloted by Shaffer.

On December 7, 1943 took off from Fenton Airfield piloted by Shaffer.

During early December 1943 assigned to the 530th Bombardment Squadron (530th BS) as part of the group's New Guinea deployment.

On December 14, 1943 piloted by Cunningham on a bombing mission against Arawe on New Britain.

On December 15, 1943 piloted by Mulhollen on a bombing mission against Cape Gloucester on New Britain.

On December 16, 1943 piloted by Mulhollen on a bombing mission against Cape Gloucester on New Britain.

On December 18, 1943 piloted by Mulhollen on a bombing mission against Cape Hoskins Airfield on New Britain.

On December 19, 1943 piloted by Mulhollen on a bombing mission against Cape Glouceser Airfield No. 2 at Cape Gloucester on New Britain.

On December 25, 1943 piloted by Mulhollen on a bombing mission against Cape Gloucester on New Britain.

Mission History
On December 26, 1943 took off piloted by 1st Lt. Harold S. Mulhollen armed with eight 1,000 pound bombs on a bombing mission (359HH) against Cape Gloucester on New Britain. Approaching the target, Mulhollen instinctively pulled up he right wing to avoid a collision with another bomber in the formation and snapped over inverted and then fell off in a left hand spin with the bomb load aboard and nearly full fuel tanks. Afterwards, photographed in a vertical dive. After diving 6,000' the pilots managed to brace their feet against the control panel and pull back the wheels and managed to pull out at an altitude of 3,500' and managed to land safely.

Afterwards, flown to Garbutt Field at Townsville and deemed to be overstreesed from the dive. On December 13, 1944 officially stricken off charge and written off. Ultimate fate unknown likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared.

Memorials
Mulhollen was Killed In Action (KIA) January 8, 1944 piloting B-24J Liberator 42-73115 on a bombing mission against Kendari on Celebes. After the crash, the remains of the crew were recovered and transported to the United States for permanent burial. The entire crew was buried on August 26, 1949 at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in a group burial at section 82 site 72.

Mullhollen earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker erected by his mother Mrs. Ruth Madar and daughter Barbara Ann 1946 at Woodlawn Cemetery in Ada, OH near the grave of his grandfather, Elmer N. Shadley.

References
Note, some sources incorrectly spell the pilot's name as "Mullhollen" [sic, Mulhollen]
NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Harold S. Mulhollen
Individual Aircraft Record Card (IARC) - B-24J Liberator 42-41241
USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24J-15-CO Liberator 42-41241
380thBG.org - Data Sheet B-24D 42-41241
380thBG.org - Mission Record B-24D 42-41241
The Best in the Southwest (1995) page 134 (photo) 134–135 (December 26, 1943 mission)
FindAGrave - 1LT Harold Shadley Mulhollen (photo, news, group burial photo)
FindAGrave - Lieut Harold Shadley Mulhollen (photos, news, obit, grave photo)

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Last Updated
December 25, 2022

 

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