I am new to this forum and have been trying to find out information regarding the plane of my dad's cousin.  The B24 was part of the 490th Bomber Group and the 851st Bomber Squadron.  It was lost to enemy flak on June 22, 1944 (from on my dad's cousin's headstone)..  No crew survived.  It was based at Eye AFB.  I am looking for any information on this plane and the crew (number, missions flown, nose art, crew names, etc.)  My dad's cousin's name:  James E. Lindemann of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.  James was the only child of my Great Aunt and Uncle.  My dad was an only child as well and he and Jimmy were as close as brothers.  I hope to present all of the information to my dad as a tribute to Jimmy.  I am also hoping to travel the exact circuit as well from his US training to England to the actual site that the plane went down.  Something inside me has been telling me to do this for almost 40 years.

JC,
 
Here is a start.  From Project Bits & Pieces here are the names of the crew that was lost that day.  The serial number of their aircraft was 44-40464.  The official Missing Air Crew Report number is 5936.  Most crew and mission information is listed under the pilot's name, in this case Lt. Richard Fellows.  I'm sure another member will pick it up from here.
 
Hal
 
 
    44-40464    MACR 5936     P      Lt Richard W. Fellows                 KIA     Elmhurst, IL
                                          CP    2Lt Robert L. Ambrose                KIA     Mabelvale, AR
                                          N      2Lt George L. Gorham                 KIA     Los Angeles, CA
                                          B      2Lt Wiley G. Comer                    KIA     Carthage, NC
                                          TT     S/Sgt Richard I. Lemanski           KIA     Belleville, MI
                                          RO   S/Sgt James E. Lindeman            KIA     Cuyahoga Falls, OH
                                          BT    S/Sgt Dallas G. Couchman          KIA     Sewal, IA
                                          LW   S/Sgt Bruce O. Boxberger            KIA     Fort Wayne, IN
                                          RW   S/Sgt Edward T. Sumrell              KIA     Grifton, NC
                                          TG    Sgt Lawrence C. Lynn                 KIA     Hooks, TX
 

Hal:
 
  Thank you so much for this lead.  Any suggestions as to where to go next.  I really appreciate this.
 
JCB

JC,
 
Unfortunately I'm not particularly knowledgable about the 490th BG.  There's not much on the web either.  There is a site, http://www.490thbg.org/ but it has minimal content and has been dormant for several years, last entry was for the 2006 reunion.  Try scanning the 490th forum on our site you may pick up some info or some contacts.  There was one thread there from 2006 that gave a group historian contact, George Pickard, e-mail PICK490@AOL.COM  Try contacting him.  I really have nothing else to add, hopefully there is someone else on the forum who can help.
 
Hal

John,
I have sent you a PM with some details.
The aircraft crashed in the forest one and a quarter kilometers west of St. Pierre les Elbeuf, which is south of Rouen in France.
It was hit by flak and exploded in the air.
The crew were buried at the time in the cemetery of St. Jean at Elbeuf.
 
Regards

Sean Welch

Sean:
 
 Thanks for the help.  I can't believe that it has taken me this long to find this forum.  The information that I have received here in the last 24 hours has been unbelievable.  Thanks again.
 
John Beckwith

John
 
My listing (no PIC yet) for...
JUST ONE MORE TIME B - 24 J - 165 - CO 44-40464 8 490 851 ~ L

Daniel L. Stockton "B-24 Best Web"
http://www.b24bestweb.com/

Got PICs? (>7300 on site!)
Submit PICs

JC -
Contact Eric , Current 490th BG Historian:
eric.490thbg@btinternet.com
Mike

John -
B - 24 # 42 - 94828  " You're Safe At Home "
Transferred to 15th AF MTO , ?/44
There is a Nose Art Photo in Book : The 8th Air Force Album by John Woolnough  Page181
I have the Book and The Nose Art is " You're Safe At Home " with an Umpire giving " Safe" Call.
Mike

Mike:
 
  Thanks for the info.  I will be hitting the bookstores in the very near future.
 
John Beckwith

John -
Go to www.abebooks.com
Type in - Author John Woolnough
Title - 8th Air Force Album
Click Search Book
Many Copies Available
Mike

JC,
 
Here is the picture Mike mentioned.  There is no identification with it regarding serial number, etc.  There are many nose art pictures in this book but they are all tightly cropped and none have any identification beyond the name.  But I must have missed something 'cause I can't figure how this name and s/n fits this thread.
 
Hal


[image]local://12384/937CE136BAE04354AD07726E92F2E58F.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

Hal:
 
  "You're Safe At Home" is included here as that was actually the plane that my 2nd cousin flew his first several missions in.  Their fatal flight was on a plane dubbed "Just One More Time".  I find this incredibly ironic.  Thanks for everyone's help.  I have made contact with several relatives of the crew.  This has been an amazing journey.
 
John

Hal - JC
Bits and Pieces , Heavy Bombers of the Mighty Eighth - 490th BG
Lists # 42 - 94828 " You're Safe At Home "
Photo: Eighth Air Force Album Page 181.
Mike

In the history book for the 490th (cover just says "490th Bombardment Group") there is a photo captioned Lt. Fellows and crew.  Hopefully the 490th historian can get you a clear copy of the photo.
 
Marty

Marty:
 
  Thanks.  Eric has been a wealth of knowledge and has sent me loads of information as well as the crew photo.  This has been extremely interesting.
 
John

Mr. Beckwith:
 
In reply to your posting of March 2008; I may have something for you.
 
My Dad (S/Sgt Edison Ray "Pete" Edwards) kept a diary of his service in England; and, as you'll see below, had quite an entry about this mission.  It was his crew's 5th mission.  He was an engineer & waist gunner.  I have the impression, from his notes, that he may have witnessed this event first hand.  He says that he knew your Dad's cousin, but I have no idea how well they were acquainted.
 
I hope this may help you,
 
Winston Edwards
 
June 22^nd, 1944
 
 
 
#5
“Short Bier”
 
Briefed at 12:00 Noon and take off was at 3:00 P.M.  Our load was 2550 gals. gas, 40-100# G.P.s.  Our target was a railroad junction at the town of Gretz, France.  It is 19 miles southeast of Paris.  We were told to make a dry run on the target first then turn and go back in on it.  The first time wasn’t so bad because we didn’t get into so much flak until we had passed over.  I was at the waist window throwing chaff.  On the second pass we dropped our bombs and the flak was getting awful close.  But we didn’t get hit very bad.  On the way back we hit a corner of (illegible, may be Ruuen), France, which had flak, and we shouldn’t have come close.  The lead navigator wasn’t on the ball and the flak came up accurate as hell.  Lt. Fellows and crew took a direct hit in the right wing between the fuselage and #3 engine.  The wing broke right off and the plane exploded, falling straight down.  He was in formation with us and most of the crew saw it as it happened.  I looked out the right waist window and saw it falling about a thousand feet under us.  My bombardier and ball turret gunner followed it to the ground and no parachutes opened.  When I saw it the tail and left wing had already broken off.  The only man on Lt. Fellows’ crew that I knew was Linderman, his radio operator.  We logged 6:55 minutes, and saw no enemy fighters, altitude 22,000.
Lt. Kirkpatrick {official history listed David P. Kilpatrick as killed in action during the war} went down before we hit the target on this mission.  Later we heard that he was killed but the crew bailed out over France and the co-pilot flew back and crash-landed the plane in southern England.
The invasion coast was lined with all types of ships.  It was awful clear and you could see the Cherbourg Peninsula off in the distance.  We passed over the northern tip of the coast and continued on route.  We passed right over the town of Lisieux, which was our target on D-day.  The town had been completely leveled since then.  Two more planes crashed during take off but no one was hurt.  One of the planes “Idiots Delight” hit a fairly large tree and tore the nose completely off.  I haven’t seen the other yet.