STEVONOVITCH II (PIC 3)

NAME

SER

BLK

SERIAL #

RCL/#

V#-P

PHOTO CREDITS

STEVONOVITCH II

44-49710

464

779

00-3

JOHN T. DEMPSEY

Starboard (Right) Side - AKA "Black Nan"
Lost 10 Apr 45, ITA - MACR 13711 - Pilot James H. Gilson
Featured in "A Young Man's Journey Through World War II"

Contributor - Jack Dempsey
Shown with my Father, Sgt Jack T. Dempsey (Nose Gunner), kneeling far right. Next to him is Tail Gunner "Corny" Faniro and Capt. Lewis Perkins is standing far left.

Info Contributor - Pete Lester
Shown with my Father, Paul F. Lester (Ball Turret Gunner), standing 2nd from left.

Info Contributor - Bob Hoskinson
This radar aircraft was also commonly referred to as "Pathfinder" or "Mickey". Lost due to flak on a so-called "Milk-Run" (target area Lugo, Italy). Piloted by 779th Squadron Commander Colonel James Gilson, ten crew members were killed with only the Radar/Bombardier (Lt. Edward F. Walsh, Jr.) surviving, and remaining in the Air Force for 27 years, retiring as a Colonel. The original image was taken by a good friend of mine (Leland Conrad, now deceased) who was a Radio Operator on John Tomlinson's crew, flying off the left wing of "Black Nan".

Info Contributor - John K. Griswell, Jr.
I was the bombardier on the airplane almost directly behind and below Colonel Gilson's airplane that sad day, 10 Apr 45. I have in my possession a sequence of four pictures taken by Leland Conrad that day. "Black Nan" is flying along normally. Then came a few bursts of flak and then the famous picture of the wing coming off. I was in the nose of our plane and threw up my arms instinctively, fearing that we were going to hit the wing but, of course we didn't.