U S Army Air Force/8th Air Force/2nd Air Division/14th Bomb Wing/492nd Bomb Group (Heavy)
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B-24J Liberator   44-40139
 44-40139
Manufacturing Data
Serial Number 44-40139
Model B-24J
Manufacturer Consolidated - San Diego, California
Production Block B-24J-145-CO
Color Silver aka NMF (Natural Metal Finish)
Group Data
Date Assigned to 492nd Original aircraft for the 859th BS
Obtained From Consolidated
Flyover Pilot 1st Lt James Bowman Crew 914
Total Missions w/492nd 8
Total WWII Missions 8
Notes
859th Squadron Code: X4
Tail Code: U+
To our knowledge this aircraft was never given a nickname or had any nose art painted on it.
Lost w/Bowman Crew 914 on 30 May 44
Returning from a night training exercise, they called the tower to turn on the landing lights. At that exact same moment a fighter base at Snetterton turned their lights on. Bowman mistook it as North Pickenham and landed there. But soon ran out of runway, since fighter base runways are too short to accommodate a B-24. No one was injured, but the aircraft was totalled and salvaged.
At this time we do not know which plane was brought in to replace this one. Our records do not show another 859th plane using this tail code.
More Info
Bowman Crew 914
Newman Crew 913
Links to missions
flown by this plane
are below in the
Mission Record
Mission Record
Documented Missions with the 492nd BG, 859th BS
Date Mission Mission # Pilot Crew Notes
11 May 44 Mulhouse, France
 Link to Mission 01 page 01
Newman 913 Target: Marshalling yard
12 May 44 Zeitz, Germany
 Link to Mission 02 page 02
Bowman 914 Target: Oil refinery
15 May 44 Siracourt, France
 Link to Mission 04 page 04
Bowman 914 Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
21 May 44 Siracourt, France
 Link to Mission 06 page 06
Bowman 914 Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets)
24 May 44 Melun, France
 Link to Mission 08 page 08
Bowman 914 Target: Airfield
25 May 44 Belfort, France
 Link to Mission 09 page 09
Bowman 914 Target: Marshalling yard
28 May 44 Zeitz, Germany
 Link to Mission 11 page 11
Bowman 914 Target: Oil refinery
30 May 44 Night Training Exercise  xx Bowman 914 Practicing night formations.
Lost: by an accident
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Page last modified Thursday, August 7, 2008.