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Back row, left to right...
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Nemesio Mena, radio operator
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Gildo Gregory, engineer
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Eugene Snavely, 492nd BG commander
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Gerald Edwards, tail gunner
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Charles Crowley, bombardier
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Edward Picard, right waist gunner
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Emmitt Coomer, nose gunner
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Front row, left to right...
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Thomas Chaffee, navigator
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David O'Sullivan, pilot
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Peter Leri, co-pilot
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John McCarthy, left waist gunner
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O'Sullivan Crew 713 Summary
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The O'Sullivan Crew transferred into the 492nd on 26 Jan 44 as crew 103 from the 331st CCTS (Combat Crew Training School) in Casper, Wyoming. After arriving in Alamogordo, the crew had 2 personnel changes and were assigned to the 857th BS, designated as Crew 713.
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2nd Lt David "Dashing Dave" O'Sullivan signed out for a brand new B-24J Liberator 44-40166. They named their plane IRISHMAN'S SHANTY. In April of 1944 they flew their aircraft to England via the southern route. Lt Chambers, the Squadron's Engineering Officer, went went them, bumping Sgt McCarthy onto the Queen Elizabeth.
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With some Irishman's luck, the O'Sullivan Crew became the first of six crews to fly a complete tour of 30 missions while at North Pickenham. We don't have confirmation to say exactly who was on each of these flights. And it's always possible that the bombardier may have been left behind on some of the missions led by Pathfinders.
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On 29 May 44 they were hit hard by the Luftwaffe while attacking the heavily defended oil refineries at Politz. For a moment it looked as if they were going down. Dick Bastien, the co-pilot on Nelson Crew 714, watched them drop out of formation and thought, "They've had it!"
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The oxygen lines to the front section were severed and the men up there began blacking out. John Ruggeri (navigator) bailed out to become a POW. The waist gunners quickly began feeding oxygen to the pilots and the rest in the nose section with walk-around bottles. The nose gunner, top turret gunner and the tail gunner each shot down a German fighter. O'Sullivan took his plane down to an altitude where they wouldn't need the oxygen bottles. Then he managed to nurse the crippled plane back to England without his navigator. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
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On the following day, Thomas Chaffee from the disbanded Jaques Crew 909, took over Ruggeri vacant spot.
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Crew 713 escaped another near death experience on 7 Jul 44 while on a bombing run targeting an aircraft manufacturing plant at Bernburg. As the Group was approaching their target they crossed paths with another group returning from their target. The lead ship for the other group was hit by flak and began flying out of control right towards Crew 713. O'Sullivan put his ship into a dive just in time to avoid a mid-air collision. His wingman, Lt Cary wasn't so lucky. The runaway plane crashed into him killing everyone in Cary's crew except for the navigator.
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Everyone with the 492nd was on pins and needles when the O'Sullivan Crew 713 took off on their 30th mission, hoping that this mission would end the Group's jinx. Crew 713, still flying in their IRISHMAN'S SHANTY, almost didn't make it. They survived some bad flak damage but then encountered something that they had never seen before: German jet fighters! A pair of jets approached their aircraft from the rear and buzzed past them at an amazing speed. But for reasons unknown, the two jets did not attack.
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The O'Sullivan Crew 713 returned to North Pickenham where the 14th Wing Commander General Leon Johnson was waiting for them with cold champagne, photographers and medals. The curse was broken and in the following week five more crews would join them in the 30th mission club.
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Charles Crowley, the crew bombardier, kept a diary of their 30 missions. Some entries have but a short sentence while a few have several detailed paragraphs. A link to the full diary is in this page's More Info column. The appropriate mission pages will link have a similar link that will open at that particular mission's entry.
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More Info |
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Original Roster for
O'Sullivan Crew 713
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| Position |
Name |
Rank |
Serial # |
Notes |
Pilot
MOS 1024 |
O'Sullivan, David G |
2nd Lt |
O-807777 |
Promoted 1st Lt
First to complete 30 mission tour w/492nd |
Co-Pilot
MOS 1024 |
Leri, Peter H |
2nd Lt |
O-692882 |
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Navigator
MOS 1034 |
Ruggeri, John S |
2nd Lt |
O-691812 |
POW, 29 May 44, MACR 5392, Stalag Luft III |
Bombardier
MOS 1035 |
Crowley, Charles E |
2nd Lt |
O-690778 |
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Engineer
MOS 748 |
Gregory, Gildo |
S/Sgt |
31170386 |
Promoted T/Sgt |
Radio
Operator
MOS 757 |
Mena, Nemesio |
S/Sgt |
18090476 |
Promoted T/Sgt |
RW Gunner
MOS 612 |
Picard, Edward E |
Sgt |
13108226 |
Promoted S/Sgt |
Nose Gunner
MOS 612 |
Coomer, Emmitt J |
Sgt |
10897941 |
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Tail Gunner
MOS 748 |
Edwards, Gerald D |
Sgt |
35597462 |
Promoted S/Sgt |
LW Gunner
MOS 748 |
McCarthy, John D |
Sgt |
12050366 |
Arrived to the UK via the Queen Elizabeth
Promoted S/Sgt |
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Others Who Flew with O'Sullivan Crew 713
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Staff
Officer
MOS 4823 |
Chambers, John C |
2nd Lt |
O-666555 |
857th BS Engineering Officer
Flew to England with the crew |
Navigator
MOS 1084 |
Chaffee, Thomas L |
2nd Lt |
O-704147 |
Obtained from Jaques Crew 909
Promoted 1st Lt
Reassigned to Haag Crew 706
10 Aug 44, transferred 44th BG |
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O'Sullivan Crew 713
492nd BG Mission Record
857th Bomb Squadron
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Crew
Mission
Number |
Group
Mission
Number |
Group
Mission
Date |
Aircraft
Serial
Number |
Primary Target |
Mission Notes |
| 01 |
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11 May 44 |
44-40166 |
Mulhouse, France |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 02 |
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13 May 44 |
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Tutow, Germany |
Target: Airfield |
| 03 |
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15 May 44 |
44-40166 |
Siracourt, France |
Target: Crossbow (V-1 rockets) |
| 04 |
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23 May 44 |
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Avord, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 05 |
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24 May 44 |
44-40173 |
Melun, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 06 |
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25 May 44 |
44-40071 |
Belfort, France |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 07 |
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29 May 44 |
44-40173 |
Politz, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery
Late getting back
MACR issued, but retracted |
| 08 |
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30 May 44 |
44-40153 |
Rotenburg, Germany |
Target: Air depot
A/C borrowed from 859th BS |
| 09 |
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31 May 44 |
44-40067 |
Brussels, Belgium |
Target: Marshalling yard
A/C borrowed from 856th BS |
| 10 |
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4 Jun 44 |
42-50313 |
Avord, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 11 |
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6 Jun 44 |
42-51121 |
Normandy, France |
Target: D-Day invasion coast |
| 12 |
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8 Jun 44 |
42-95177 |
Angers, France |
Target: Railroad junction |
| 13 |
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10 Jun 44 |
42-95177 |
Orleans/Bricy, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 14 |
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14 Jun 44 |
44-40166 |
Emmerich, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery |
| 15 |
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15 Jun 44 |
44-40166 |
La Frilliere, France |
Target: Railroad bridge |
| 16 |
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18 Jun 44 |
44-40166 |
Luneburg, Germany |
Target: Airfield
Bombed Nordenham |
| 17 |
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21 Jun 44 |
44-40168 |
Genshagen, Germany |
Target: Aircraft engine factory |
| 18 |
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23 Jun 44 |
44-40166 |
Juvincourt, France |
Target: Airfield |
| 19 |
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4 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
Beaumont-le-Roger,
France |
Target: Airfield |
| 20 |
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6 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
Kiel, Germany |
Target: Shipyard |
| 21 |
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7 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
Bernburg, Germany |
Target: Aircraft manufacturing |
| 22 |
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11 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
Munich, Germany |
Target: Railroad station |
| 23 |
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12 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
Munich, Germany |
Target: Railroad station |
| 24 |
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16 Jul 44 |
44-40071 |
Saarbrucken, Germany |
Target: Marshalling yard |
| 25 |
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19 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
Russelheim, Germany |
Target: Marshalling yard
Bombed Koblenz |
| 26 |
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21 Jul 44 |
44-40140 |
Oberpfaffenhofen,
Germany |
Target: Aircraft factory |
| 27 |
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24 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
St Lo area, France |
Target: Tactical |
| 28 |
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25 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
St Lo area, France |
Target: Tactical |
| 29 |
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29 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
Oslebhausen, Germany |
Target: Oil refinery |
| 30 |
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31 Jul 44 |
44-40166 |
Ludwigshafen, Germany |
Target: Chemical plant |
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