406th/858th/859th BSs
McCarthy Crew
A picture would be most appreciated!
Following data transcribed from
Special Orders #229, dtd 05Dec44.
Officers:
Thomas O. McCarthy - Pilot
ASN 0705732
Rosslyn C. Anderson - Copilot
ASN 0770922
Robert E. Beach - Navigator
ASN 0723270
Armando Carlino - Bombardier
ASN
0716712
Enlisted:
Charles S. Jones
- Gunner ASN 37533432
Mack H. Dias
- R.O. ASN
33761086
James B. Tate - Engineer
ASN 38437770
Robert J. Webber - Gunner
ASN 37486739
ASNs so-colored for EMs link to their NARA Enlistment Records.
Crew Background: No picture of the crew has been found, and no orders show the crew as arriving at Harrington, their first appearance occuring in the reorganization orders of 13 August 1944. However, their first mission as a crew took place on the night of 17/18 August 1944, and from that it can be assumed that they probably arrived at Station 179 sometime in July of that year. Jones, the Dispatcher, was sent to "area H", i.e., Dispatcher training, for a week in August. After "spy and supply" operations ceased in mid-September '44 McCarthy's short crew flew six gas-haul missions.
The crew were transferred to the 859th BS and went with that squadron to Italy in December of 1944. They were shot down over Austria in April of 1945 - the details were included in the 859th BS history, but at the time it was not known if any had survived, however all did.