The following are OCR Scans of an account from George W. Parker. These are thought to be reasonably accurate scans but do still contain some typical OCR typos.
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MISSOURI MULE II
MARTIN B-26B-55 MARAUDER, No. 296152-- Medium Bomber of World War II
This is the story of one aircraft. It was delivered from the Glenn L. Martin Company to Hunter Field, U.S. Army Air Corps , Savannah, Georgia a few weeks before the 397th Bombardment Group (Medium) was to proceed to England. The group departed for England on February 24, 1944.
This plane was assigned to the 596th Squadron, 397th B. Gp. The crew chief was T/Sgt Michael Garvie. No. 152 was assigned to Pilot George W. Parker (b. 16 May 1923) , 1st Lieut who had enlisted after completing high school in May 1940 at Nevada, Missouri and was sworn in at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas on July 8, 1940. He ask for the Air Corps and was assigned to Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas. He worked on the flight line in aircraft maintenance, completed airplane mechanics school at Chanute Field, Illinois , July 1, 1941, then back to Randolph. He was a sergeant before entering flight training after the age for pilots was lowered from 20 to 18 in the late summer of 1941. He graduated from flying school class 42-J (November 10, 1942) at Lubbock Army Airfield, Texas where he flew the AT-1 7 and At-9 aircraft.
The Lubbock graduates were offered transition flight training assignments in C-47s-Transport Command or the Martin B-26. Parker took the B-26 and was assigned to Tarrant Field, Ft Worth, Texas. The ten early model B-26s at Tarrant were among the first planes, along with the pilots from Tarrant Field, which moved into Del Rio to open the new transition school there for the B-26 late January 1943. The Tarrant pilots became the first class to complete the course at Del Rio.
The next assignment for Parker was to the 1 st Minimum Altitude Bomber- Torpedo Unit at Eglin Field, Florida. This was a squadron of B-26s, which was to perform a secret mission. It would train night and day to obtain the capability of harassing Japanese shipping off the China coast. Capt James Muri, survivor of the Battle of Midway in 1942 when four B-26s were dispatched to drop torpedoes, served as the torpedo instructor at Eglin for the 1st Minimum unit. The mission was canceled (April 1943).. Parker, along with most of the 1st Minimum personnel, was transferred to MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida to join the 397th Bomb Group, which was being formed there.
After combat crew training at MacDill the 397th Bomb Group (M) was based at Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia. New B-26s were delivered to the 397th at Hunter in early February 1944.
These new B-26 aircraft were flown to England via Ascension Island-- the southern route. The crew chiefs accompanied the flight crews on the trip to England.
In England, Sgt William S. Kaminski of the 596th squadron painted " Missouri Mule 11" on #296152.
The MISSOURI MULE II has been featured in several publications:
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- 1. A color chart of World War II aircraft, approx 30 x36" 1987, by Arti Grafiche Ricordi S.p.A., Milano ... printed in Italy. (Copies usually available at the Gift Shop, USAF Air Museum, Dayton, Ohio).
- 2. This same color print of #152 appeared on the front page of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Vol 6, Issue 61, London, England (about 1984).
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In books:
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- 3. History of the U.S. Air Force by David A. Anderton; The Military Press, NY, 1981, page 93. (in error the squadron is listed as "598th-).
- 4. Military Aircraft Markings and Profiles by Barry C. Wheeler; Gallery Books, W.H. Smith publication, 132 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10016; 1990; page 96. (also lists "598th" Squadron in error)
- 5. Spirits of the Sky Classic Aircraft of World War 11, Salamander Books,Ltd, 1992. London, England. Smithmark Publications, Inc., 112 Madison Ave, NY,NY 10016; Tele: 212-532-6600.
- 6. The 9th Air Force in World War 11 by Ken C. Rust; Aero, Publishers, Inc., 329 Aviation Rd, Fallbrook, CA 92028, 1970 Revised 2nd printing. Note: The photo on page 213 is similar, yet different than the MO Mule 11 on the Chart printed in Italy. This print shows the number of bombing missions depicted by bombs painted just behind the Mule's head, and the top wire antenna is shown angling up to the top of the rudder.
- 7. The Concise Guide to American Aircraft of WWII by David Mondey; Smithmark Pub., 16 E. 32nd St, NY, NY 10016, 1982; 1986 ed.
- 8. Flying Colours, featuring 1300 military aircraft markings and colour schemes--compiled by William Green & Gordon Swanborough. A Salamander Book; by Greenwich Editions, 9-10 Blenheim Court, Brewery Rd, London N7 9NT, 1981,1997; ISBN 0-86288-291-5; page 141.
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Sgt. Garvie was the first crew chief in the 397 to be awarded the Bronze Star for his diligent and outstanding work. He had maintained No. 152 with a perfect record -- no mechanical abortions for fifty combat missions. After the war with Germany was over on May 8, 1945, the Missouri Mule 11 had completed 135 missions.
On April 6, 1945, (The war was over May 8, 1945) Lieut Steve Weatherby of Ithica, NY took off in # 152. It crashed shortly after takeoff. Weatherby and the crew were killed. Ironically, When Weatherby first joined the 596th squadron, Parker was the instructor pilot shooting landings with him on July 28, 1944 at RAF Rivenhall Airfield, Essex, England. On this flight, after several take offs and landings, a left main tire blew out after the nose wheel was off the ground on a takeoff roll. The main gear collapsed; the left engine was torn off when the four bladed propeller hit the cement runway and pitched out to the left. The plane came to a stop burning. The crew safely escaped and the plane burned to the ground. The was a spare aircraft (#296093) used for training, not Missouri Mule 11. Two photos of this burning plane are on page 70 in B.A. Stait's book, RIVENHALL--The History of an Essex Airfield, 1984; Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd, Gloucester, Great Britain. The date is shown as 18 July, but Parker's log book and the date on official 397th Bomb Group photos show 28 July 1944 as the correct date. 1/97 rev 12/2000
--The crew flying B-26 #296152 to England from Hunter Field, Savannah, GA took off on February 24, 1944. Crew: Parker, Lt. Lonnie Moore (CP), Lt. B.H. Gross (Navi), S/Sgt Don Billings (R- G), & T/Sgt Michael Gravie ... Landed in England March 7, 1944; Trip total: 10 days; 10,850 miles; 63 hrs-05 minutes (flying time); longest single flight: Marrakech, French Morrocco to St Mawgan,England--9 hrs (1475 miles); 2nd- Natal, Brazil to Ascension Isle --- 7 hrs-40 minutes (1440 miles).
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