My father's first mission was on June 7, 1943, during bombing of gun emplacements on Pantellaria Island.....
(Right! These aren't 489th B-25s!)
Some of the original gunners in the squadron, participated in the first missions over and out of Africa.
FRONT: Wilbur Bagby, William Culver, Eddy Bey, ??? ???
BACK: Andrew Myers, John Mourey, Donald O'Conell,
Allen Berven, Homer Raddatz, Thomas McIntosh
Some of the squadron's original radio-gunners.
BACK --- Hogan, Tigue, Gange, Gahm, White, Glick
FRONT --- Jeanell, Perrin, Rovlick, Sorensen, Moore, Schurig
Alexander, Kaufman, Hamilton, Gahm, Bagby, Hofmeister
The only photo of my father in the squadron "yearbook"
489th B-25s (over Italy?)
The squadron used B-25 "C" and "D" models like these primarily until they were replaced by "J" models after the Mt. Vesuvius eruption destroyed many of the bombers. The single "stinger" tail-guns were installed at Kabrit, Egypt. The tail was open to the air and the gunner would lay on armor plate to fire the weapon. The tail-gunner in the "J" models had twin machine guns, a seat, knee rests, more armor plating, and a canopy!
Colonel Parrish in disguise.
San Pancrazio was the first base where the men slept in buildings rather than tents.
Here's my dad on their veranda on the right, probably munching on a ham sandwich, with fellow gunner and roommate Peter J. Miller.
On February 6, 1944, P.J., and four others died in a crash of plane 463, 9K, returning from a cancelled mission.
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