THE PIPKIN CREW

THE PIPKIN CREW

The evening 6 May 1944 was a B-24 from the Carpetbagger Group USAAF on the way from England to Denmark whit a Drop to the Danish resistance.

The drop was near the Danish town called Odense. On the island Fyn.

The flight started From Harrington airfield in England at 22.06 PM

The Pipkin crew arrived at Alconbury late in December of 1943 and logged fifteen missions before running into trouble on the first Carpetbagger mission over Denmark. On the night of 6/7 May 1944 this crew was shot down by a German fighter after a successful drop in Denmark. Only the Navigator was killed, and two escaped capture and returned to Harrington by the end of the month to pick up their effects and lecture the men of the newly arrived 788th and 850th BSs on effective escape and evasion methods.
Pipkin and Barron were imprisoned in Stalag Luft III, while Galozzi, McCaskey and Helmer were interned in Stalag Luft IV until the end of the war. MACR 4306
Names and Picture Credits: Mackey Barron

Standing, L-R:
Israel M. Barron        - Copilot            (POW)
Clair D. Vanderschaaf   - Navigator          (KIA)
George Pipkin           - Pilot              (POW)
Floyd N. Holmes         - Bombardier         (EVR)

Kneeling, L-R:
James F. McCaskey       - Dispatcher         (POW)
Vincent Gallozzi        - Tailgunner         (POW)
Dale Helmer             - Engineer           (POW)
Jack C. Wengert         - Radio Operator     (EVR)

Preferred Aircraft: B24-D 42-40530
An ex-479th ASW plane, it had been modified at Burtonwood and entered the Carpetbagger inventory on 17 Dec 1943. Never named, it was lost west of Skjern, Denmark after a successful drop on the Danish resistance group at Rugard, island of Fyn, Denmark.

Pipkin

0143

06-Apr-44

Donkeyman 38

42-40550 C

Pipkin

0197

11-Apr-44

Matthew 101

42-40530 A

Pipkin

0203

12-Apr-44

Paul 80

42-63801 D

Pipkin

0246

28-Apr-44

Marksman 24

42-40530 A

Pipkin

0275

29-Apr-44

Osric 23

42-40530 A

INFO : FROM TOM EMSINGER.- http://www.carpetbaggerops.org/406thBS/406th-Names.html

While they where on there way over the Nordsea, the Germans here in Denmark was gething ready to meet the lonely Liberator.

On the danish westcoast the Germans had some RadarInstalations - where they could spot a plane out on the Nordsea. The camp Nord of Ringkobing Fjord - Ringelnatter spoted our friend out on the Sea.

The HQ gave ALARM to scamble some Nightfighters from the German Staffelen. This Night they sended more than 10 Nightfigthers up to meet the Liberator.

Down under here is a Wurzburger Reise - which the German used to locate plane whit.

The German Night fighers flew in a Quadrant - where the had some infomation from The German Radarinstallations. When the Allied Plane where in the near of the German Nightfighers - they turned on the radarinstallations onboard . And the had uselly no problem in finding the allied plane.

Map over Radarinstallations in Denmark

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B- 24 LIBERATOR

B- 24 Liberator. No (42-40530) Was a black painted Plane. Used by The Carpetbaggers because they only flew in the night.

There where no Ball turret on this model - because they flew in a hight right over the treatops. If there where a ball turret - it could be fatal. Mr. Barron told me that they hit a churchtop in France on a trip in March 1944.