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USAAF 41-31696 Martin B-26B-20-MA Marauder
USAAF serial number S/N: 41-31696 Martin B-26B-20-MA Marauder
1941031696, 41-31696 Martin B-26B-20-MA Marauder Fate: Damaged Unit: 387BG556BS Remarks: 387BG556BS (Chipping Ongar) - Tiger Tails Code:FW-H named: Roughernacob damaged in CL in France Aug 12, 1944, Disposal: 12-Aug-44
However http://387bg.com/Aircraft/B-26%20Dubissary.htm has the following:
Dubissary
Martin B-26B-20-MA Marauder
Sn: 41-31696
Squadron Code: FW-J
First Sortie |
Last Sortie |
Total |
31 Jul 43 |
3 Feb 44 |
40 |
Crew chief: T/Sgt. Charles Olzewski
Asst. Crew Chief: Sgt. James D. Barnes
Dubissary was one of the original cadre of B-26s that formed the 556th Bomb. Squadron. The crew to which the aircraft was originally assigned and that flew the aircraft from the United States to England was:
| Pilot CP B/N EG ROG AG |
2nd Lt. 2nd Lt. 2nd Lt. Pvt. T/Sgt. S/Sgt. |
Richard J. Ulvestad Gordon R. Hatt Arr K. Jorgenson Oliver Bragg Fred L. Murray Hugh F. Snyder |
S/Sgt. Emery A. See, an Electrician from the Engineering Section, accompanied the aircraft on its trip from the United States to England.
Dubissary flew a total of 40 sorties with the 556th. When the 1st (Provisional) Pathfinder Squadron was formed the various B-26 groups were required to furnish it with aircraft. Dubissary was the 556th's contribution, and was sent off to its new assignment in early February, 1944.
Roughernacob
Martin B-26B-20-MA Marauder
Sn: 41-31696
Squadron Code: FW-H
Crew Chief: T/Sgt. George Anthony
Asst. Crew Chief: Cpl. Edward F. Higgins
Roughernacob was one of the original cadre of B-26s that formed the 556th Bomb. Squadron. The crew to which the aircraft was originally assigned and that flew the aircraft from the United States to England was:
| Pilot CP B/N EG ROG AG C.C. |
1st Lt. 1st Lt. 2nd Lt. S/Sgt. T/Sgt. S/Sgt. T/Sgt. |
Samuelson S. Williamson, Jr. William M.Chase III John B. Neill Harry Trevinger Harold M. McCorkle Charles M. Jablonski George Anthony |
Roughernacob flew a total of 111 sorties. On August 12, 1944 the Group was dispatched to Corbeil, France to attack a railroad siding. Roughernacob, piloted by 1st Lt. William Moriarty, received damage to its fuel system from the light flak put up over the target area. Its left engine started to cut out as it neared the English Channel, forcing Lt. Moriarty to feather it and seek an emergency landing site. He made a "wheels-down" landing in a farmer's field short of the USAAF P-47 fighter strip at Tour-en-Bessin, France (Station A-13). The landing gear sheared off when the bomber came to the end of the field and went through a hedgerow. The crew escaped unharmed. The crewmembers on Roughernacob's final flight were:
| Pilot CP B/N EG ROG AG |
1st Lt. 2nd Lt. 2nd Lt. T/Sgt. S/Sgt. S/Sgt. |
William Moriarty Jess Wilkes Clarence Bergland Doyle Gantt Kenneth Schell Charles Salas |
Yea Botz, Vol. XIX, No. 1 (Dec. 1987)
Tall Tiger Tales
Bill Moriarty
August 12, 1944. (A-13) USAAF Fighter Base near Tour-en-Bessin, France. - 1st Lieutenant Bill Moriarty landed his flak damaged B-26 in an open field near this fighter base. His aircraft still retained its full bomb load due to the overcast over the intended target of the formation; the railroad siding at Corbeil, France.
Lt. Moriarty was at the controls of the B-26B Marauder named "Roughernacob" over Corbeil, when his bomber was struck by Flak that pierced his Marauder's fuel lines. The rapid loss of fuel forced Lt. Moriarty and his copilot, Lt. Jess Wilkes, to feather their left engine and call Emergency Control for a suitable airfield to make an emergency landing.
Lt. Moriarty describes his crew's tingling experience, "The weather was fairly good and the flight to Corbeil was uneventful. The overcast over our target prevented us from dropping our bombs. As we turned to leavewe encountered some light Flak, but at the time, we didn't believe we were hit."
"We must have received damage to our fuel system. Shortly before we headed out across the English Channel, we noticed that our fuel guages suddenly showed we were almost empty. We must have been losing fuel rapidly. I broke away from the formation and had Jess call emergency Flying Control for a heading to the nearest field suitable for a B-26 to land; which they supplied."
"As we turned and headed for the designated field, our left engine began to cut out...and come back in. We decided to feather it, and trimmed our plane for single engine operation. We were losing altitude because we still had our full payload of bombs. We were over friendly territory, so we did not salvo to lighten the ship. About this time, our right engine began to miss for lack of fuel-when we trimmed for single engine, it was necessary for both Jess and I to be at the controls when the engine would cut out.:
Moriarty continues, "I spotted a fighter field ahead and to the left, and thought that we could make it. The big mistake I made was in not getting Whitey, our bombardier, out of the nose compartment earlier. Now this was impossible since Jess had to man the controls with me."
"As we turned toward the fighter strip, I knew we would not make it. We were about forty-five degrees to the runway, when I saw this farm field and without hesitation, called Jess to put the landing gear down. I've thought about it many times and to this day I don't know what, or who told me to do that."
"We landed in that small field. At the far end of this field was a hedge row, and as we went through it, all three of our landing gears were sheared off. We bellied to a stop in the next field. Jess and I went through the top hatches, then ran to the nose to check on Whitey. The plastic nose section was broken off and he was gone! We thought that possibly he had been thrown clear, but when we turned around there was Whitey running like hell across the field! He hurried to the rear of the plane to check on Schell, Gantt and Salas, but they were gone... Like our bombardier, they were running from the wreckage, and needless to add, Jess and I took off too."
"We were very fortunate we did not have any injuries. Thinking back, having the gear down probably saved our lives. It definitely saved Whitey's life."
"Roughernacob" was put down on the edge of Allied Landing Strip number A-13. The P-47 pilots, and personnel of the fighter squadron, treated the B-26 crew "royally" during the few days of their stay. When transportation was arranged, Lt. Moriarty, and his crew, were taken back across the English Channel to their home base at Stoney Cross, outside South Hampton...carrying their Norden bombsight. The crew members were:
| 1st Lt. William Moriarty 2nd Lt. Jess Wilkes 2nd Lt. Clarence 'Whitey' Bergland T/Sgt. Doyle 'Honorable' Gantt S/Sgt. Kenneth 'Skip' Schell S/Sgt. Charles 'Chuck' Salas |
Pilot Copilot Bombardier Radioman Flight Engineer Armament |
387th Bombardment Group
Constituted as 387th Bombardment Group (Medium) on 25 Nov 1942. Activated on 1 Dec 1942. Trained with B-26 aircraft. Moved to England in Jun 1943. Served with Eighth AF until assigned to Ninth in Oct 1943. Began combat in Aug 1943 and concentrated its attacks on airdromes during the first months of operations. Made numerous strikes on V-weapon sites in France in the winter of 1943-1944. Hit airfields at Leeuwarden and Venlo during Big Week, 20-25 Feb 1944, the intensive campaign against the German Air Force and aircraft industry. Helped to prepare for the invasion of Normandy by attacking coastal batteries and bridges in France during May 1944. Bombed along the invasion coast on 6 Jun 1944 and supported ground forces throughout the month by raiding railroads, bridges, road junctions, defended areas, and fuel dumps. Moved to the Continent in Jul 1944 and participated in attacks on the enemy at St Lo in the latter part of the month and on German forces at Brest during Aug and Sep. Extended operations into Germany by fall of 1944. Received a DUC for action during the Battle of the Bulge when the group hit strongly defended transportation and communications targets at Mayen and Prum. Supported the Allied drive into the Reich by attacking bridges, communications centers, marshalling yards, storage installations, and other objectives. Ended combat operations in Apr 1945. Returned to the US in Nov. Inactivated on 17 Nov 1945.
559th Bombardment Squadron 556th BS: 1942-1945.
559th Bombardment Squadron 557th BS: 1942-1945.
558th Bombardment Squadron 558th BS: 1942-1945.
559th Bombardment Squadron 559th BS: 1942-1945.
Squadrons. 556th: 1942-1945. 557th: 1942-1945. 558th: 1942-1945. 559th: 1942-1945.
Stations. MacDill Field, Fla, 1 Dec 1942; Drane Field, Fla, 12 Apr 1943; Godman Field, Ky, c. 11 May-10 Jun 1943; Chipping Ongar, England, 25 Jun 1943; Stony Cross, England, 18 Jul 1944; Maupertuis, France, 22 Aug 1944; Chateaudun, France, 18 Sep 1944; Clastres, France, 30 Oct 1944; Beek, Holland, 29 Apr 1945; Rosieres-en-Santerre, France, 24 May-c. Nov 1945; Camp Kilmer, NJ, 14-17 Nov 1945.
Commanders. Maj David S Blackwell, 20 Dec 1942; Col Carl R Storrie, c. 19 Jan 1943; Col Jack E Caldwell, 8 Nov 1943; Col Thomas M Seymour, 13 Apr 1944; Col Grover C Brown, c. 18 Jul 1944; Lt Col Richard R Stewart, 20 May 1945; Col Philip A Sykes, Jun 1945-unkn.
Campaigns. Air Offensive, Europe; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Germany, 23 Dec 1944.
Insigne. None.
387th Bombardment Group Mission List
387th Bombardment Group Chronology
Martin B-26 Marauder photograph list.
USAAF Military History Section
USAAF Chronology and War Diaries USAAF Combat Units 1941-1942 1943 1944 1945
This webpage was updated 20th August 2012
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