380th Bombardment Group (380th BG) "The Flying Circus"
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF)

Background
The 380th Bombardment Group (380th BG) nicknamed "The Flying Circus" was assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF) in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) during World War II. The 380th BG includes the Headquarters Squadron (HQ), 528th Bombardment Squadron (528th BS), 529th Bombardment Squadron (529th BS), 530th Bombardment Squadron (530th BS) and 531st Bombardment Squadron (531st BS).

528th Bombardment Squadron (528th BS)
The 528th Bombardment Squadron (528th BS) operated the B-24 Liberator.

529th Bombardment Squadron (529th BS)
B-24D "Big Chief Cockeye" 42-40351  pilot Thornton crashed July 5, 1944, 4 prisoners, executed/died
B-24D "Esmeralda II" 42-40507  pilot Merkel crashed July 10, 1943 remains recovered, case resolved
B-24D "Nothing Sacred" 42-40509  crashed October 7, 1943
B-24D "Snafu" 42-40513  damaged September 13, 1943 fuselage displayed at AAHC
B-24D "Toughy" 42-40525  pilot Terpnin crashed May 7, 1944
B-24D "Snafu No. 2" 42-41120  salvaged May 29, 1945
B-24J "Paper Doll" 42-73187  pilot Wormer crashed January 19, 1944
B-24J "Lucky Don" 42-73485  crashed April 7, 1944

530th Bombardment Squadron (530th BS)
B-24D "Fyrtle Myrtle" 42-40485  pilot Farrington crashed October 26, 1943
B-24D "Juarez Whistle" 42-40496  scrapped September 26, 1945
B-24D "Gus's Bus" 42-40504  pilot ? crash landed October 20, 1943
B-24D "The Red Ass" 42-40524  pilot Lippincott MIA September 11, 1943
B-24D "Dauntless Dabbie" 42-40528 pilot Doornbos ditched June 15, 1943
B-24D 42-41241  damaged December 26, 1943 afterwards written off
B-24D "Quack Wac" 42-72775  abandoned at Darwin, nose art displayed AAHC
B-24J 42-73127  written off December 9, 1944 ultimate fate unknown

531st Bombardment Squadron (531st BS)
B-24D "Fyrtle Myrtle" 42-40485  pilot Farrington crashed October 26, 1943
B-24D "Careless" 42-40500  pilot Dienelt crashed June 11, 1943
B-24D "Mr. Five By Five" 42-40505  pilot Johnson crashed October 9, 1944
B-24D "Kathy" 42-40517  crashed June 15, 1943
B-24D "Deliverer" 42-40522  assigned to the RAAF, scrapped postwar
B-24D "The Leila Belle" 42-40527  pilot Smith MIA June 11, 1943
B-24D "Sunshine I" 42-41225  pilot Jennings crashed March 8, 1944
B-24D "The Big Ass Bird II" 42-72801  pilot Martens MIA March 18-19, 1944
B-24J "Doodlebug" 42-73117  pilot Smith crashed January 19, 1944
B-24J "Milady" 42-73134  pilot Neal crashed January 17, 1944

References
The Best in the Southwest: The 380th Bombardment Group (H) in World War II (1995) unit history
The Flying Circus Pacific War 1943 As Seen Through a Bombsight (2005)
Darwin's Air War 1942 – 1945 An Illustrated History Commemorating The Darwin Air Raids (Revised Edition) (2011)
The Flying Circus 380th Bomb Group Association official website

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