<%@ Language=JavaScript %> 850th/857th BS - Deano Crew

850th/857th BSs
 Deano Crew

 

The Deano crew are pictured above at Mountain Home, spring of 1944. Their plane (B24H 42-94802), was left at Eye. Names and faces have not been matched.

Charles C. Deano          - Pilot           ASN 0693643
Robert W.  Collett        - Copilot         ASN 0818615
Charles J. Brejcha, Jr.   - Navigator       ASN 0703599
Adam M.    Wojack         - Bombardier      ASN 0698947
Francis G. Wylong         - R.O.            ASN 11103279
Ernest J.  Cabral         - Engineer        ASN 31246023
Wilbert A. Silva          - Dispatcher      ASN 39414475
Ralph  A.  Calderon       - Gunner          ASN 32891311  (Orphaned)
William P. Markley        - Gunner          ASN 34544276  (Orphaned)
Eugene O.  Marion         - Gunner          ASN 31299976

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

Picture and names credit: Ewen Sinclair

Taken later in the year at Station 179, names matched with faces by Charles Brejcha, is the 8-man crew at Harrington:Taken later in the year at Station 179, names matched with faces by Charles Brejcha, is the 8-man crew at Harrington:

Standing, L-R:
Charles    Deano          - Pilot
Charles J. Brejcha Jr.    - Navigator
Robert     Collett        - Copilot
Adam M.    Wojack         - Bombardier

Kneeling, L-R:
Eugene     Marion         - Tailgunner
Ernest     Cabral         - Engineer
Francis    Wylong         - R.O.
Wilbert    Silva          - Dispatcher

Combat Period: May-Sep 1944

Status: Original 490th BG crew, arrived at Harrington at the end of May 1944.   

Preferred Aircraft: B24H 42-95131 Details are from the August 1944 Mission Reports. Not hard at all to tell that this crew had a preferential plane. Their second DZ for the month was a Belgian target, all others were French. Persons/crew in the available file have not been identified.

Pilot MR# OK Fail Joes Cntnrs Pkgs Nkls

Date

 DZ Aircraft
Deano 1405 1 0 0 12 10  3  3  Freelance 7 B24H 42-95131
Deano 1428 1 0 3 12  0  6  5  Nola 1 B24H 42-95131
Deano 1478 0 1 0  0  0  0  7  Horace 15  B24H 42-95131 
Deano 1487 0 1 0  0  0  0  9  Pimento 130 B24H 42-95131
Deano 1527 0 1 0  0  8  0 10  Spiritualist 6 B24H 42-95131
Deano 1573 1 0 0 12  0  7 12  Harold 2 B24H 42-95131
Deano 1610 1 0 0 12 10  7 14  Shipwright 28 B24H 42-95131
Deano 1654 1 0 0 12  4 10 15  Fireman 20C B24H 42-95131
Deano 1683 1 0 0 12  6  7 17  Percy 55 B24H 42-95131
Deano 1725 1 0 0 12  0  6 18  Harold 3 B24H 42-95131
Deano 1794 0 1 0  0  0  0 28  Tom 54 B24H 42-95131

After the Deano crew had returned to the ZI, custody of the plane passed to the 859th BS and it was flown to Italy in December of 1944, by George F. Johnson and crew.

Agents Inserted/Carried:
 1428       3 Belgian agents not identified
Leaflets Carried/Dropped:
 USF   1    Misidentified on MR
USF   2    Misidentified on MR
 USF  75    Waiting a submit-for-scan
USF 128
 USF 130    Waiting a submit-for-scan
USF 131
USF 133

 Additional data sources:
 Deano Crew Personnel Files
 Deano Crew Mission Reports

Group-Related Downloads: 801st
 AAFRH-21 "AAF Aid to European Resistance"
 Allied Leaflets Index
 "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)
 "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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