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Gotha mission #41, 24 February 1944
This mission and all others have been written about in, The Liberators from Wendling, the history of the 392nd Bomb Group, by Robert E. Vickers Jr. available through the 392nd BG Memorial Association.
Thiry-one planes made the seven hour, fifteen minute bomb run with the loss of 7 B-24's. Seventy men lost their lives in this raid, and twenty-one enemy aircraft were shot down. 2nd Lt. James S. Thomas, the Books Crew nose gunner, received credit for one ME109 damaged. Chester Strickler, right waist gunner, shot down another ME109 but received no credit because of no witnesses.
Click here to read Col. Keilman, first hand account of this mission.
Books plane #742 "Old Glory"
Books plane #261 "Sweet Chariot"
P 1st Lt. D.O. Books
CP 2nd Lt. H.E. Grey
N 2nd Lt. H.G. Kornman
B 2nd Lt. J.S. Thomas
E S/Sgt W.C. Womer
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R S/Sgt G.E. Slack
G Sgt E.N. Morris
G Sgt C.T. Porter
G Sgt C.C. Strickler
G Sgt R.G. Hampton
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The Books plane, Sweet Chariot, had the nose wheel shot off, but Pilot Dallas Books landed the plane safely at Wendling Air Base in England. The 392nd was awarded the Presidential Citation for their performance.
Furth mission #42, 25 February 1944
Twenty-two planes made the eight hour, forty minute bomb run with no loss of planes or crew. One enemy aircraft was shot down.
Books plane 599 "Mack's Sack II"
P 1st Lt D.O. Books
CP 2nd Lt H.E. Gray
N 2nd Lt H.G Kornman
B 2nd Lt J.S. Thomas
E S/Sgt W.C. Womer
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R S/Sgt G.E. Slack
G Sgt C.T. Porter
G Sgt C..C. Strickler
G Sgt E.N. Morris
G Sgt R.G. Hampton
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No Ball-Lottingham #43, 29 February 1944
Twenty-five planes made the four hour, forty minute bomb run with no loss of planes or crew. No enemy aircraft were shot down.
Books plane 599 "Mack's Sack II"
P 1st Lt D.O. Books
CP 2nd Lt H.E. Gray
N 2nd Lt J.S. Thomas
B 2nd Lt H.C. Kornman
E Sgt E.N. Morris
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R S/Sgt G.E. Slack
G Sgt C.T. Porter
G Sgt C.C. Strickler
G Sgt R.G. Hampton
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Dembach mission #44, 2 March 1944
Twenty-two planes made the eight hour, forty minute bomb run with one crew member lost. No enemy aircraft were shot down.
Books plane 127 "Li'l Gypsy"
P 1st Lt D.O. Books
CP 2nd Lt H.E. Gray
N 2nd Lt H.C. Kornman
B 2nd Lt J.S. Thomas
E Sgt E.N. Morris
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R S/Sgt G.E. Slack
AG Sgt C.C. Strickler
G Sgt C.T. Porter
G S/Sgt W.S. Womer
G Sgt R.G. Hampton
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Bordeau-Cognac mission #46, 5 March 1944
Twenty-eight planes made the eight hour, forty minute bomb run with one plane and 10 airmen lost. No enemy aircraft were shot down.
Books plane 308 "Our Gal"
P 1st Lt. D.O. Books
CP 2nd Lt. H.E. Gray
N 2nd Lt. H.C. Kornman
B none
E Sgt E.N. Morris
R S/Sgt G.E. Slack
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G S/Sgt W.S. Womer
G Sgt C.T. Porter
G Sgt R.G. Hampton
G Sgt C.C. Strickler
G Sgt D.C. Jones
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Genshagen mission #47, 6 March 1944
Twenty-one planes made the eight hour, fifteen minute bomb run with two planes and 20 airmen lost. Two enemy aircraft were shot down. Read Sgt Jack Money's diary about this raid.
Books plane #990 "Short Snorter"
P 1st Lt. D.O. Books
CP 2nd Lt. H.E. Grey
N 2nd Lt. H.G. Kornman
B S/Sgt. J.F. Beseda
E Sgt. E.N. Morris
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R S/Sgt. G.E. Slack
G S/Sgt. W.S. Womer
G Sgt. C.T. Porter
G Sgt. C.C. Strickler
G Sgt. R.G. Hampton
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Friedrichshafen mission #52, 16 March 1944
Twenty-nine planes made the nine hour bomb run. No bombs were dropped as the weather and clouds didn't permit it. No planes or crew memebers were lost.
Books plane 990 "Short Snorter"
P 1st Lt D.O. Books
CP 2nd Lt H.E. Gray
N 2nd Lt. H.C. Kornman
E Sgt E.N. Morris
R S/Sgt G.E. Slack
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G Sgt C.C. Strickler
G Sgt R.C. Hampton
B/G S/Sgt F.F. Beseda
G Sgt C.T. Porter
G Sgt N.K. Willig
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Friedrichshafen mission #53, 18 March 1944
Twenty-two planes made the eight hour, fifteen minute bomb run. Fifteen planes were lost and 154 crew members. Twenty eight enemy aircraft were shot down. This was the last mission of the Books Crew who crashed their plane Old Glory in Hardt Germany. One survivor, Chet Strickler, was spared because he was blown out the right side of the plane. He was captured and spent the remainder of the war in a prison camp in Austria. Click here to read Col. Keilman, first hand account of this mission.
Books plane #742 "Old Glory"
P 1St Lt D.O. Books
CP 2nd Lt H.E. Gray
N Capt J.E. Slowik
B/G Sgt. C.T. Porter
E Sgt E.N. Morris
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R S/Sgt G.E. Slack
G Sgt C.C. Strickler
G Sgt R.C. Hampton
G Sgt N.K. Willig
G Sgt D.C. Jones
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