The pilots and crews of the B-24 Liberators during WWII came from every walk of life, in every state in every small town. They were doctors, lawyers, business men, farm boys, teachers, and students. Some of them had excellent educations while others barely out of high school, if they completed it. Most of them were between the ages of two and ten when Charles Lindbergh flew the “Spirit of St. Louis” in 1927. Paul Eugene Barnett would have been six years old. For many of these men, joining the Air Corp was the first time they had ever traveled outside of their hometown, city, or state. In their teenage years, they drove Model T Fords or maybe Model A’s if they ever got the chance to drive at all.
In basic training, the drilling was continuous. From dawn until dusk they drilled, and then collapsed on their bunks only to do it again. Many of the men feared that the war would be over before they finished basic. After basic, they were shipped off to Italy. They departed Langley in December 1943 and flew to Tunisia by way of Brazil, arriving in January 1944. They remained in Tunisia until completion of their airfield at San Giovanni, Italy, about five miles west of Cerignola and 20 miles southwest of Foggia. The 743rs was based at San Giovanni Field, near Cerignola, Italy. The 455th 743rd shared the base with the 454th Bomber Group.
The B-24 Liberator was a man’s plane. It was considered the hardest plane to fly. On a long mission, it would wear out even the strongest pilot. It required almost super human strength to fly at times. The famous B-17 Flying fortress was easier to take off, easier to land, and easier to fly. Furthermore, the B-17 wouldn’t break apart and sink in the water. You learned to make no sudden moves in the B-24 because the response time had to be calculated. The B-24 was the biggest and most expensive plane to fly up until 1944. More aluminum was used in the B-24’s than any other plane. The B-24 AAF instruction manual stated, “The B-24 has guts. It can take it and dish it out. It can carry a bigger bomb load farther and faster, day in and day out than any other airplane.” However upon loss of a single engine on the B-24, the new wing design had a tendency to fold up and break off when hit by a shell.
The 455th’s emblem, the Vulgar Vulture, created by Walt Disney Studios. It was a vulture clutching a bomb in it’s talons. The 455th flew 139 combat missions before November of 1944. In April of 1944 two B-24’s were brought down by one another. Flak had struck Lt. Jerome Slater’s plane, causing it to roll over and strike Lt. Michael Callen’s plane. Only one parachute was seen to have opened. Twenty crewmen were listed as missing in action. In May of 1944, they flew 21 missions. The group put 745 B-24’s over target, dropping 1,630 tons of bombs. The casualties were high, however they kept going.
The 455th’s emblem, the Vulgar Vulture, created by Walt Disney Studios. It was a vulture clutching a bomb in it’s talons. The 455th flew 139 combat missions before November of 1944. In April of 1944 two B-24’s were brought down by one another. Flak had struck Lt. Jerome Slater’s plane, causing it to roll over and strike Lt. Michael Callen’s plane. Only one parachute was seen to have opened. Twenty crewmen were listed as missing in action. In May of 1944, they flew 21 missions. The group put 745 B-24’s over target, dropping 1,630 tons of bombs. The casualties were high, however they kept going.
The 743rd was based at San Giovanni Field, near Cerignola, Italy. The 455th 743rd shared the base with the 454th Bomber Group.
On July 27, 1944 at approximately 1005 hrs., as a result of aggressive air attack by numerous German ME109’s and FW 190’s, Near Bicake, Hungary five B-24 type aircraft including B-24H, S/N 42-52294 (Costello's Plane) was shot down. The formation had so shifted about that reports were general rather than specific. The aircraft was hit in the bomb bay, caught fire, and went down gradually. It was seen to later have exploded. Parachutes were seen in the area.
All crew killed in action
2nd Lt. Robert A. Bulbranson
2nd Lt. Robert K. Patrick #771785
2nd Lt. William O. Vocial
SSG Robert F. Cox Jr.
Sgt. Paul E. Barnett
Sgt. Donald J. Broers
Sgt. Martin J. Costelle
Sgt. Melvin Hall
Sgt. John M. Taaffe
In basic training, the drilling was continuous. From dawn until dusk they drilled, and then collapsed on their bunks only to do it again. Many of the men feared that the war would be over before they finished basic. After basic, they were shipped off to Italy. They departed Langley in December 1943 and flew to Tunisia by way of Brazil, arriving in January 1944. They remained in Tunisia until completion of their airfield at San Giovanni, Italy, about five miles west of Cerignola and 20 miles southwest of Foggia. The 743rs was based at San Giovanni Field, near Cerignola, Italy. The 455th 743rd shared the base with the 454th Bomber Group.
The B-24 Liberator was a man’s plane. It was considered the hardest plane to fly. On a long mission, it would wear out even the strongest pilot. It required almost super human strength to fly at times. The famous B-17 Flying fortress was easier to take off, easier to land, and easier to fly. Furthermore, the B-17 wouldn’t break apart and sink in the water. You learned to make no sudden moves in the B-24 because the response time had to be calculated. The B-24 was the biggest and most expensive plane to fly up until 1944. More aluminum was used in the B-24’s than any other plane. The B-24 AAF instruction manual stated, “The B-24 has guts. It can take it and dish it out. It can carry a bigger bomb load farther and faster, day in and day out than any other airplane.” However upon loss of a single engine on the B-24, the new wing design had a tendency to fold up and break off when hit by a shell.
The 455th’s emblem, the Vulgar Vulture, created by Walt Disney Studios. It was a vulture clutching a bomb in it’s talons. The 455th flew 139 combat missions before November of 1944. In April of 1944 two B-24’s were brought down by one another. Flak had struck Lt. Jerome Slater’s plane, causing it to roll over and strike Lt. Michael Callen’s plane. Only one parachute was seen to have opened. Twenty crewmen were listed as missing in action. In May of 1944, they flew 21 missions. The group put 745 B-24’s over target, dropping 1,630 tons of bombs. The casualties were high, however they kept going.
The 455th’s emblem, the Vulgar Vulture, created by Walt Disney Studios. It was a vulture clutching a bomb in it’s talons. The 455th flew 139 combat missions before November of 1944. In April of 1944 two B-24’s were brought down by one another. Flak had struck Lt. Jerome Slater’s plane, causing it to roll over and strike Lt. Michael Callen’s plane. Only one parachute was seen to have opened. Twenty crewmen were listed as missing in action. In May of 1944, they flew 21 missions. The group put 745 B-24’s over target, dropping 1,630 tons of bombs. The casualties were high, however they kept going.
The 743rd was based at San Giovanni Field, near Cerignola, Italy. The 455th 743rd shared the base with the 454th Bomber Group.
On July 27, 1944 at approximately 1005 hrs., as a result of aggressive air attack by numerous German ME109’s and FW 190’s, Near Bicake, Hungary five B-24 type aircraft including B-24H, S/N 42-52294 (Costello's Plane) was shot down. The formation had so shifted about that reports were general rather than specific. The aircraft was hit in the bomb bay, caught fire, and went down gradually. It was seen to later have exploded. Parachutes were seen in the area.
All crew killed in action
2nd Lt. Robert A. Bulbranson
2nd Lt. Robert K. Patrick #771785
2nd Lt. William O. Vocial
SSG Robert F. Cox Jr.
Sgt. Paul E. Barnett
Sgt. Donald J. Broers
Sgt. Martin J. Costelle
Sgt. Melvin Hall
Sgt. John M. Taaffe
