"From Nashville Tenn." - Renamed from LIBERATOR BY FORD (War Bond Tour)

Contributor - Don Shepherd

Purchased from funds raised through a War Bond drive in Nashville, Tennessee. Shown on the field at Grottaglie, Italy, early 1944. Delivered to Bruning 27 Oct 43.

On the way to Wiener-Neustadt, Austria, 29 May 44, some 20 minutes before reaching the IP, the Radio Operator aboard ship #07 called in on the command frequency saying they were "having trouble with  turbos". The Group leader instructed them to jettison their bomb load. After dropping its bombs, she was able to maintain position in the formation. However, just as the Group was reaching the IP, she dropped out of the formation and turned back alone, apparently still under control when it turned back, and no chutes were seen. This aircraft was not seen after that time by any of the Group aircraft. It would later be learned that TWO TON TESSIE fell victim to enemy fighters after the turn back. All ten members of Fergus's crew succeeded in bailing out safely and subsequently became POWs.

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Copyright © 1997 B-24 Best Web. Published on Veterans Day 11/11/97. Last modified: January 12, 2007