help finding a picture...

[JB73]

Brady, you seem to have the skinny on all sorts of WWII pics.

could you or somone else help me locate a pic af a certain plane?

my best friends grandpa was on the Ploesti raid in a b24 liberator named:

"Blondes Away" with a designation of "C" on the tail.

thats all the information i have. his last name was: "Peterleus" and he was a flight engineer.

we have a lot of his documents we are trying to preserve and would like a pic of the plane to put on the front of the binder we are putting together.

thanks in advance.

he was in the 389th group attacking the "Red" target

[fullback]

Here is some helpful information:

566th BS had 'C' markings:
 Specific aircraft histories including pilot name

All Ploesti aircraft were 'D' models:
D model specs and list

Taillmarkings

Hope this helps.

[palef]

I've had a look and found two "Blondes Away" B24s.

This one is from the Pacific, so no dice:

http://www.web-birds.com/5th/43/43.htm

This one appears to be European. Look in the background of the "Crew #17" photo. That is apparently Blondes Away.

http://members.nccw.net/wsquires/b-24.html

I'll check out a book on Ploesti I have at home and see if there are any pics in there.

Regards

Palef

[Puck]

The wings on the right are arial gunners.  I have my dad's pair (somewhat the worse for wear after sixty years) attached to a speaker grille next to my monitor.  I also have his original copy of the gunner's information file (he was a B24 nose gunner).

[Arlo]

An original Project 92311 aircraft which landed and was interned at Dübendorf, Switzerland, on 13 Apr 44 .

Includes 2nd Lt. Joe A. DeJarnette and his crew GZ13,  was probably taken in the U.S. or in South America or Africa en route to England.

http://www.b24bestweb.com/blondesaway-v2.htm



This photo is believed to be taken at March Field, Ca. prior to being deployed to England. Crew to be identified (possibly Lt. Fern Titus Crew or Lt. Joe DeJarnette Crew). This photo is a close-up of the crew from the full view of BLONDES AWAY featured on the AIRCRAFT page. Info per Don Olds. Photo courtesy of Mark Forlow..

http://tinpan.fortunecity.com/aprilskies/264/ob_photos.html

[brady]

Wow, WTG Arlo.

[palef]

Good Job Arlo!

palef

[Widewing]

B-24D S/N 42-40793 567th Heavy Bomber Squadron
Photo available from 389th HBG Association.

Association contact is:
Felix Leeton
7325 Bonanza Pl
Greenwell Springs LA 70739-3001
Phone: 504-261-5300

389th website is here


The photo Arlo dug up is of a B-24J, not the aircraft involved in the Ploesti raid. Wrong name too; Blondes Away rather than Blonds Away.

Blonds Away diverted to Cyprus after bombing Ploesti.

Pilot was William D. Nading.

Here's a crew photo:



Here's another:


My regards,

Widewing

[JB73]

WOW <> all TY ....

WW is the winner .. the plane did divert to cyprus for fuel.

they had to use 5gal gas cans to refuel the plane. they had flown out of africa Aug 1 1943 with the ploesti raid.

has been amazing talking to him, his crew flew over 25 missions together and not 1 single purple heart for any of them. zero injuries.

they later hit bremen and berlin around 27k

but he talked about buzzin the med for the ploesti.

he also said the p51's that escorted them into bremen wre way better then the p38's. also when the fighters go there all the gunners just put their guns down to watch lol.

but he said that the p51 was WAY more manueverable than the p38 which i thought was odd.... seeing as how all here think the p38 is a miracle plane.

tons more to talk to him about and again TY all <<>>

if i can scan in some of his stuff ill post it.

puck what are all those exactly? .. this guy has some thing i forgot what it was called but he has 2 of them for distinguished service. also some "cluster with oak leaves" or something.

like i said i just found out about his role. he's 83 and my buddy and i are trying to gather as much infor as we can so it isn't lost. hes not in the best of health.

[Arlo]

I defer to WW. Different spelling. Damned my impatient research.

Glad it came up.

The internet is wonderful.

[palef]

Come on Arlo - we fell victim to the classic blunder of using someone elses spelling

Good Job Widewing. Got home and looked in the book and there was the same photo you posted - correct spelling and all

palef

[Guppy35]

Just to clarify something:

The FIRST Ploesti Raid was all D models.  Having researched lots of B24 stuff, you run in to a lot of folks who have relatives who flew on a Ploesti Raid who assume there was only the one low level mission.

Just a quick check through my stuff shows at least 21 other missions to Ploesti involving both 24s & 17s by the 15th AF Bomber Command, starting in April of 44.

Dan/Slack

[JB73]

Originally posted by Arlo
I defer to WW. Different spelling. Damned my impatient research.

Glad it came up.

The internet is wonderful.

lol was a great effort... i didnt give anough info at first. sry <> for the help.


i found out today Nading was the pilot... if i could have given that info earlier.

guppy ... i dont know what model his was but it was the pic WW posted.

he said it had a big C on the tail.. is that the model designation or the group?


BTW buddy rpinted the pic and took it to him today ... it was it.

his grandpa almost cried we found it so quick. he doesnt have a single pic of the plane. this is going to be a GREAT thing when we get the scrapbook done.!

ill keep you updated <> all and TY again for the help!

[frank3]

Jb, please tell me that isn't that badger from the song!!

[JB73]

why YES it is!