NAME TP - M# SER - BLK - MF

SERIAL #

AF

BG

BS

SC RCL/# V#-P

PHOTO CREDITS

STORK CLUB

B

-

24

H

-

15

-

FO 42-52333 15 460 763 ~ B 01-3

WALTER J. SKWARLO

460th BG EmblemFeatured in "Target Ploesti"
Not Lost 30 May 44, AUT - MACR 12538 - Pilot June V. Mefford
Lost 6 Aug 44, ITA - MACR 15311 - Pilot Parker T. Brown

Contributor - John G. Runion

Standing (L-R)
1Lt Clifford W. Stone - Navigator
Col R. K. Taylor- 460th BG Chief of Staff
Sgt Matthew C. Kline
SSgt Audley R. Rice
Sgt Robert J. Wisgerda - Tail Gunner
Sitting (L-R)
Mjr James Williams, Jr. - Pilot
1Lt John H. Claridge - Co-Pilot



Info Contributor - Georges "Gino" Künzle
Among the crewmembers was Bombardier/Author Leroy W. Newby, Jr. ("Target Ploesti": see book above) who was flying his 50th and last mission on that day, 6 August, 1944, a mission he chose to fly on the basis he thought it would have been a “milk run”.
Chapter 14, from page 190 to 205 is entirely dedicated to this event. In short, the plane was shot down not by Flak or enemy fighters, but by a runaway machine gun from another B-24 in the formation!! Two MACRs were issued against STORK CLUB (42-52333). MACR #15311 normally shouldn’t have been issued at all, because the loss was over friendly territory. Three men went down with the plane, the others managed to bail out, with Newby landing in the water.

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B-24 Best Web. Published on Veterans Day 11/11/97. Last modified: 27-Mar-2021