From: To: Subject: Re: 406 BS (Night Leaflet) Date: Friday, January 11, 2008 11:08 AM Bob, A very interesting photo - many thanks. Either 42-95238 was flown from Sudbury to Cheddington directly or it transited via a storage location or BAD but, in any event, we now know that it had not been painted black and made into a night leaflet plane before its assignment to 406 NLS. Tom. Dans un e-mail daté du 11/01/2008 08:50:32 Romance Standard Time, livo@digisurf.net.au a écrit : Tom, All I can say is that 42-95238 appeared to still be in 486BG markings when it crashed: Obviously it had not even done the conversion which must have been scheduled for some time after the assignment. Bob ----- Original Message ----- From: _Tombrittan@aol.com_ (mailto:Tombrittan@aol.com) To: _alblue@earthlink.net_ (mailto:alblue@earthlink.net) ; _dstockton1@cox.net_ (mailto:dstockton1@cox.net) ; _chris.gregg@389thbg.net_ (mailto:chris.gregg@389thbg.net) ; _tjwil@ecn.purdue.edu_ (mailto:tjwil@ecn.purdue.edu) ; _livo@digisurf.net.au_ (mailto:livo@digisurf.net.au) ; _b30.craig@gmail.com_ (mailto:b30.craig@gmail.com) ; _marchese.nccs@worldnet.att.net_ (mailto:marchese.nccs@worldnet.att.net) ; _judepete@bigpond.net.au_ (mailto:judepete@bigpond.net.au) ; _b29mann@frontiernet.net_ (mailto:b29mann@frontiernet.net) ; _jimleddy1@comcast.net_ (mailto:jimleddy1@comcast.net) ; _801492bg.historian@comcast.net_ (mailto:801492bg.historian@comcast.net) Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 10:31 AM Subject: 406 BS (Night Leaflet) I have two B-24s on my database which crashed in August 1944: 42-52625 about 6 miles NNE of Stoke-on-Trent 440815 B-24H 42-52625 406BS 113 8 MAC 5 Leftwich, Tommie F ENG Morris Hse Frm, Brwn Edge 42-95238 in the grounds of Burghill Mental hospital, near Hereford, after colliding with the chimney (Tommie Leftwich subsequently flew many night leaflet operations, mainly in 41-28871 which had been a GH lead aircraft in 486 and 34 BGs) 440818 B-24H 42-95238 406BS 113 8 KMAC 5 Cherrington, Chester (NMI) ENG Burghill Both had previously been assigned to 3 BD Groups, respectively 487th (taxiing accident at Lavenham on 29 Jun 44) and 486th (plane's last mission; 18 Jul 44) Tom Ensminger's research into 406 BS operations shows that it was not before the end of September 1944 that B-24s started to join B-17s in night leaflet operations. However, you will notice that both aircraft were already assigned to 406 BS at Cheddington (AAF Station 113). Assuming that they left the BGs soon after the last missions with B-24s and went to BAD for the application of black paint and night leaflet mods, they could not have been at Cheddington for more than a few days, possibly weeks. Does anyone know what other B-24s in 406 BS at Cheddington were being used for from mid-Aug thru late Sep 44? It seems a long training period. Tom.