<%@ Language=JavaScript %> 36th BS - Choper Crew

36th BS
Choper Crew

 

Back Row L-R:
Grady L.    Herron     - Engineer        ASN 14142638
John R.     O'Neil     - R.O.            ASN 13151717
James M.    Davidson   - Dispatcher      ASN 14057692
Nicholas J. Agneta     - Tail Gunner     ASN 13154744

Front Row L-R:
Albert E.   Engel      - Copilot         ASN 0684506
Emanuel     Choper     - Pilot           ASN 0709335
John H.     Singleton  - Bombardier      ASN 0685859
Charles W.  McGuire    - Navigator       ASN 0755191
 
Not shown:
Clifford F. Dehee      - Engineer        ASN 37239515   (Orphaned)
Edward T.   Davis      - Engineer        ASN 35309872   (Orphaned)

ASNs so-colored for EMs link to their NARA Enlistment Records.

Picture Location: Harrington
Picture Date:
Spring 1944

Status: Augmentation crew, arrived at Alconbury 16 Dec 43.

Photo Credit: 801st/492nd BG Association.

Errata:
Following a successful tour of 35 missions Choper and McGuire came back to Harrington after a summer leave and participated in an O.S.S. evaluation trip that took them to Italy, Egypt, India, Ceylon, and Burma in B24 42-63980 aka "Playmate".

Preferred Aircraft: B24-D 42-40501

Former Anti-Submarine (479th ASG) aircraft, it was received from Burtonwood Air Depot on 30 Dec 1943.  The Choper crew actually flew quite a number of planes but early in May of '44 they began flying this plane more often than any other (6).  On the morning of 29 May 1944 a bad landing was made, shearing off landing lights and running off the runway with a flat tire and a collapsed nose wheel. The Watch Log reporter indicated that the caravan crews said the plane actually landed sideways and only partially on the runway. The plane remained in it's crash position for a few days and was eventually removed and set aside until mid-July when it was salvaged.  Other planes flown by the crew for the April-July period of 1944 were:

506 R - 1     "Fightin' Sam"
538 K - 3    
618 E - 1     "Air Tramp"
768 N - 1     "Shoot Fritz, You're Faded"
775 L - 2
784 A - 2
786 G - 2
968 Q - 1     "Birmingham Express"
980 B - 1     "Missouri Mauler" and "Playmate"

Agents Missions:
MR 195  Paul 9        Denis Parsons
MR 445 
Donald 64     No Drop
MR 470A
Headmaster 4  Raymond Glaesner,Francis Bec & Sonia Butt
MR 627 
Historian 9A  Henri Fucs
MR 931 
Stationer 137 Inter-Allied Mission TILLEUL (4 members)
MR 968 
Francis 1     Jedburgh Team FRANCIS

Additional crew data sources:
Choper Crew Personnel files
Choper Crew Mission Reports

Group-Related Downloads:
801st/492nd Personnel Mission Report Index(Jan-Sep44)
AAFRH-21 "AAF Aid to European Resistance"
Report
"Carpetbaggers" by Parnell
"They Flew by Night" editor Robert Fish
Serial Number Index of B24s
Station 179 Operations Log
(handwritten Apr44-Jul45)
Station 179 Operations Log (transcribed Sep44-Jul45)

Available on Request:
Group Mission Reports Jan-Sep44
(On disk $12ea - $10ea via Paypal)
"Secret Squadrons of the 8th" by Carty (leaflet squadron portion only)
"Chronology of SOE Operations with the Resistance In France During WWII" by Foot & Boxhall
"Spies,Supplies & Moonlit Skies Vols 1&2" by Ensminger
(On disk $12ea - $10ea via Paypal)

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