Port (Left) Side - HALPRO #24 [W] Transfer

Contributor - Brendan Wood

Info Contributor - Tom Brittan

Originally a HALPRO aircraft, then 98th BG before assignment to 376th BG / 514 BS as #63 (P), and flew on the 1 Aug 43 Ploesti mission. Redeployed to the ZI on 13 Sep 43 for a War Bond tour and became a training aircraft with #636.

Info Contributor - Al Blue

Martin Walsh, the original HALPRO pilot, who took WASH'S TUB overseas in May of 1942, told me an interesting story, many years ago. After he completed his North African tour, Walsh was assigned to Pueblo AAB as an instructor. When he arrived at the base, he spotted his old airplane sitting forlorn and forgotten in a remote area of the field, where it had been abandoned after its war bond tour. He was able to commandeer the necessary people and parts to put the plane back in shape, and used it as his own personal hack for the rest of his time at Pueblo. Nobody else would fly such an "ancient B-24", but Walsh said, "It still flew like the champion it was!". The plane was scrapped in Nov '46.

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Copyright © 1997 B-24 Best Web. Published on Veterans Day 11/11/97. Last modified: February 16, 2008