Name: Christmas Sale Consolidated B-24h Liberator 'buttercup' Combat Loss Relic Display Accessory [hA3xj5yQ]
Brand: mappa-mercia.org
SKU: HBS24882603876
Price: 40.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.74 (724 reviews)

Consolidated B-24H Liberator 'BUTTERCUP' s/n 42-52256 of the 739th Bomb Squadron, 454th Bomb Group, based out of San Giovanni, Italy. Shot down in action on April 12th, 1944, during a mission to bomb the Luftwaffe airfield at Bad Voslau, Austria.

The 454th Bomb Group history for the month stated of the mission stated:

70-80 E/A [enemy aircraft], Me 110’s, Me 210’s, Ju 88’s, Me 109’s and Fw 190’s attacked the Group over the target from 1205 to 1245 hours. T/E/A [twin-engine aircraft], in groups of 4–6 attacked from 12 o’clock high in line abreast, firing rockets and cannons passing through the formation, and also attacked singly and in pairs from 6–10 o’clock, these E/A flying parallel with Group and then coming to attack. S/E/A [single-engine aircraft] attacked from 6–9 o’clock high, low and level. S/E/A carried 2 rockets […] Attacks were aggressive.

Crew of B-24H 'Buttercup' on April 12, 1944:

The following list was adopted from Missing Air Crew Report No. 4037 with grade, name, service number, position, and status (killed or captured).

2nd Lieutenant John J. O’Connor, O-749299 (pilot) – P.OW.

2nd Lieutenant James A. Kelley, O-691514 (copilot) – P.O.W.

2nd Lieutenant William M. West, O-811819 (navigator) – K.I.A.

2nd Lieutenant William J. Harden, O-681855 (bombardier) – K.I.A.

Staff Sergeant John D. Reed, Jr., 37193628 (flight engineer/waist gunner) – K.I.A.

Staff Sergeant Edmund Trzcinski, 32495753 (radio operator) – P.O.W.

Staff Sergeant Raymond E. Lunsford, 19003022 (ball turret gunner) – K.I.A.

Staff Sergeant John J. Mackin, 16147746 (assistant engineer/top turret gunner) – P.O.W.

Staff Sergeant Charles H. Aldridge, Jr., 14161814 (nose gunner) – K.I.A.

Staff Sergeant Paul A. Rackmyer, Jr., 32566411 (tail gunner) – P.O.W.

This aircraft was attacked head-on, reportedly by a Bf 109 G-6, and was hit with a rocket directly into the nose, which started a fire. It was seen to drop out of formation, in a spin. It crashed into the ground near Stetzing Eisenstadt, Austria. Five crewmembers escaped the aircraft by parachute and were captured (all repatriated after the war).

The crash site has been known for many years and has been periodically dug for parts of the aircraft. A collection of upper and lower-surface wing parts was collected in 2022 and acquired by Cole's Aircraft in 2024.

These pieces of exterior skin are very well preserved with much original camouflage paint.

Each display is ready-to-hang, and measures 13x19-inches. Limited to 75 signed & numbered displays.

A wealth of detailed information about this aircraft and its crew may be viewed at: 2nd Lieutenant William J. Harden (1921–1944) – Delaware's World War II Fallen (delawarewwiifallen.com)