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73rd wing, 883rd squadron, 500thBG
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04/22/2005 05:27:37 PM
I am looking for any information on my grandfather's crew of the MUSTN'T TOUCH, serial number 42-24657. I have a list of the crew, a picture of the plane, but I was wanting to find any of the patches or insignia that may be available to look at. I also was curious if there are any pictures of the crew. Please help me find any information that I may have overlooked, or not yet found. His name was James A. Marshall, Jr. and was killed on a bombing mission from Saipan to Tokyo on January 9, 1945. Maybe there is still someone alive that remembers him, the crew or even the mission to let me know of the situation surrounding his death. THank you , his grandaughter, Brenda
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Square K
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RE: 73rd wing, 883rd squadron, 500thBG
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04/22/2005 06:16:59 PM
Hi Bren, I haven't located a bomb group or squadron patch yet. I have actually seen a note that this group and squadron had no emblem. Maybe someone else could shed more light. Here is some data I found. You may already know, so for what it is worth. MACR # 10903 1/9/1945 B-29 42-24657 500 BG From: http://home.att.net/~sallyann6/b29/56years-4501a.html
(Mission 26) Seventy-two 73rd BW B-29's are dispatched from the Marianas to attack the Musashino aircraft plant near Tokyo, but the formation is broken up by high winds. Only eighteen B-29's attack the primary target, and thirty four attack alternates and targets of opportunity; they claim 13-3-11 Japanese aircraft. Six B-29's are lost.
The six aircraft lost are:
42-24598 A5 Waddy's Wagon; Young crew lost after ditching
42-24772 A14 (MACR 10907); Baird crew lost
42-24655 A46 Mis' Behavin'; Crowell crew lost
42-24658 V3 Wugged Wascal; Murphy crew lost after ditching
42-24665 V4 Satan's Sister; Fiala Crew lost after ditching, 12 MIA
42-24657 Z45 Mustn't Touch; Charters crew lost (detailed below)
Info on 42-24657 Z45, Mustn't Touch:
Crew Missions: 1 Aircraft Missions: 6
Pilot: Capt. John F. Charters KIA
Copilot: 1/Lt. Carmon B Rucker KIA
Bombardier: 1/Lt. Leland B. Young KIA
Flight Engineer: 1/Lt. William F. Nothcutt KIA
Navigator: 1/Lt. thomas G. Haher KIA
Radio: James A. Marshall, R. KIA
Left Gunner: George T. Copher KIA
Right Gunner: Ray M. Bell KIA
Central Gunner: Clarence Cohen KIA
Radar Operator: Max J. Swanson KIA
Tail Gunner:Beverly A. Hocker KIA
Ground Crew:
MSgt. Robert W. Doonan (Crew Chief)
Sgt. George M. Lester
Sgt. Charles C. Griffen
PFC. Crol J. Dunais
Notes:
Capt. McClanahan and crew brought this aircraft to Saipan in early November of 1944 and were assigned to it along with Capt. Hanson's crew. She was ditched by Charter's crew on 1/9/45 on their second mission. They were followed down by a buddy plane but contact was lost when they hit water. There were no survivors.
Capt. Charters was on his second tour of duty. He had flown with the old 19th Bomb Group.
Here is a mission summary from the same link:
Mission # 18
Date: 9 January 1945
Code Name: Enkindle # 2
Target: Tokyo ( 357 ) - Nakajima A/C Plant, Musashino
Participating Unit: 73rd BW
Number A/C Airborne: 72
% A/C Bombing Primary: 25% (18 Primary, 0 Secondary, 34 Last Resort and Opportunity)
Time Over Primary: 091513K - 091535K
Altitude of Attack: 29,500 - 34,400
Weather Over Target: CAVU
Total A/C Lost: 6
Resume of Mission: Bombing results poor---visual bombing--- extremely bad weather on route out prevented formation flying to any large extent. Diversionary force of three aircraft dispens- ed rope. Nineteen early returns. Two aircraft lost to enemy air- craft, one aircraft ditched on route back and two aircraft are missing to unknown reasons. Enemy air opposition meager to moderate, inaccurate. Average bomb load: 5,000 lbs. Aver- age gas reserve: 1,174 gallons.
Good Luck!! -Keith
-Keith Hardie Nephew of John David Hardie, 447th BG waist gunner. www.447bg.com
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bilamos
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RE: 73rd wing, 883rd squadron, 500thBG
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05/02/2005 07:59:43 PM
Hi Brenda, Here is a picture of John Charters crew. This is in the 73rd's archives. I'm sorry there is no ID of the individuals. Hope you can pick out your Grandfather. I have the war time addresses of the crew if you think they will be useful. Have picture of maintenance crew, also. Keith gave you the aircraft data from Sallyann's B-29 site. Essentially the same info is in the 73rd's data base with a few more details. For instance, "Mustn't Touch II", 42-63490 had as one of it's crew S/Sgt Bill Agee who became the 73rd Wing's historian. And prior to your Grandfather flying on 42-24657 the aircraft flew with the 881st as "Black Magic" Zsq4. I wish you good luck as well in finding out all you can about your Grandfather. Bill Spokane
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DavidK
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RE: 73rd wing, 883rd squadron, 500thBG
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04/24/2007 02:10:52 PM
Hi, my great uncle, Corporal Clarence Cohen, was a gunner on the Mustn't Touch. I'll look over my pictures and see if there are any patches or insignia. I do know that several decorations were awarded. We did not have those decorations. My grandmother said that the family refused them in their grief. I wrote to the Army a few years ago and received a complete set.
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