466th Bomb Group ,Crew #555, Pilot, Paul West Bridgeman

I recently had correspondence with the namesake and nephew of Pilot Paul W. Bridgeman. Pilot Bridgemans' nephew, Paul W. Bridgeman sent me the following:


(Click to enlarge)





Pilot Bridgeman had a career with the Military. I never knew that he continued flying after WW2.......He tragically lost his life in 1959 in a boating accident.

Stolkholm Sweden Photo, 1945 and now......

This photo was taken by Dad during one of his Stolkholm Sweden OSS Missions in 1945. He said it was a group of statues near a railroad station.



I contacted the Stolkholm equivlant to our "Chamber of Commerce" and they directed me to the "Kunst" (?)...a sculpture which still stands today near the concert hall in Stockholm. (Not sure if that is the name of the statues but that is what Google Earth labels it.......)




The railroad station is now gone but the statue still resides in its' 1945 location.



Another photo taken in Stolkholm by Dad in 1945. Don't know of its' actual location in the city.

OSS Missions in April 1945

Dad, 2nd. Lt. Smith, during what I now find were OSS Missions.....cameras weren't allowed as a part of their gear so Dad had to be discreet with his camera......



The photo below (in earlier posts) was taken by Dad in Stockholm Sweden in April of 1945. I've been reading "Attlebridge Arsenal", a book by Earl Wassom (also 466th veteran) & Chris Brassfield , and found some other interesting information. Dad flew the Sweden missions with Pilot Melvin Westbrook and Co-pilot Bill Pond. In their records Mr. Brassfield found:

"After their time with the 466th. Mel Westbrook and his Co-pilot Bill pond were transferred to the 492nd. Bomb Group 'Carpetbaggers" where they flew two missions to Sweden for the OSS (precurser to the CIA) in all black painted B-24's."

Never knew Dad was an early "CIA agent"....





After studying crew photos I also found the identity of the crewman on the far left. William Estep, was the Engineer and originally a member of crew #671, the "Merritt Crew" On the far right is Co-pilot Bill Pond and on his right is Pilot Mel Westbrook. The crew man on Westbrooks right is still unkown to me, but I might be able to identify him as time goes on.



Bill Estep was the Flight engineer on the Sweden OSS missions.



"Operation Carpetbagger", here some more info. found......

Although most of the Carpetbagger sorties took place from Harrington, supply and agent dropping missions were carried out from other airfields. In April 1944 a detachment was dispatched to Leuchars in Scotland from where a totally different undercover operation took place. This was Operation Sonnie, which was to fly back to the UK several thousand Norwegian aircrew trainees and American internees from Sweden. These trips were very hazardous and were usually undertaken when cloud cover was available. The B-24s used were ostensibly civilian aircraft with civilian markings, the crew wearing airline clothes. Sonnie B-24s flew to Bromma airport, Stockholm, and were serviced by American engineers living as civilians in Stockholm.

These personnel were under constant surveillance in Stockholm by German agents, who did their best to discover the route taken by the American aircraft. It was found that although some were daytime flights, they suffered no more interception than normal night supply missions. A supply and agent dropping operation from Leuchars - this was code named Operation Ball. Six B-24s flew these missions from July 1944. These trips were more hazardous than the European operations, several squadrons of Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighters were always on hand to hammer the unwary. There were many more abortive sorties over the mountains and fjords of Norway. Out of 65 attempted drops only 37 were successful


Another interesting "Operation Sonnie' Story.....

Helpful Enemies

"Bromma Airport in Stockholm was a beehive of international activities
during WW2. German Lufthansa transports landed there regularly after
trouble-free flights in Germany-controlled airspace. Allied military
transports, disguised as civil airplanes, arrived in a steady stream from
Leuchars in Scotland after flying in hostile skies during moonless nights.
They brought with them VIPs, diplomats, vital machinery parts, film and
photo-chemicals, books, fresh newspapers. When they left Bromma on
other moonless nights they were loaded with new VIPs, Norwegian
resistance people, roller bearings, special steel products, and whatever
was needed back there in the West.

During the last years of the war this clandestine traffic was intensified
and organized by old polar bear Bernt Balchen in what was called
"Operation Sonnie." The standard plane was Consolidated C-87 Liberator
Express. On Bromma, German and American airplanes were mixed
together in a comic hodgepodge, and the two parties watched each other
carefully.

One day, one of Balchen's Liberators cracked a cylinder head on a flight
from Leuchars. They could have sent for a spare cylinder from Scotland,
but Yes-Vee-Do-It-Balchen did it his own way . He knew that the DC-3s the
Germans were operating between Berlin and Stockholm used the same
engines, so he asked his friend Carl Florman, of the Swedish airline ABA,
to borrow a spare cylinder from the Lufthansa representative at Bromma.
The German replied that he didn't have one on hand in Stockholm, but
would arrange for one to be sent up from Berlin on the next plane. The
following day Lufthansa delivered a cylinder from an American B-24 which
had crashed in Germany. Balchen installed it in his Liberator and flew
back to Leuchars. There he got a spare cylinder and took it to Stockholm
the next day to replace the one borrowed from the Nazis. Everybody was
happy."
(- Bernt Balchen: Come North with Me)


Here is right side photo of "Dixie" sitting in her revetment....



Dad flew B-24 "Times A'Wastin on a few missions. Below is a photo of her #2 engine which had the propeller blown off by flak on June 18th, 1944. She was repaired and still flying when crew #555 flew her later in 1944.



Below is supposed to be left side photo of "Damifino" in her revetment, but the tail markings do not match with other records I have found. Records show "O+" rather than the "K" on her "RCL" Tail Marking..(?)

466th Bomb Group Tribute

Top left: Pilot Melvin Westbroook



"Sister" Bomb Group in Color

466th. BG Crew #555 Fate of Planes Flown

"TIMES A' WASTIN' ....AIRCRAFT SERIAL #42-50569

My research finds that this aircraft was lost after raid on marshalling yard at Celje, Yugoslavia on Feb. 14th. 1945....
have never seen records of missions there so might be some mis-information floating around?

My father with "DIXIE"......AIRCRAFT SERIAL #44-10499

Dixie's location was last noted at Walnut Ridge Arkansas in Jan. 1946 where she was likely scrapped.


"DAMIFINO" AIRCRAFT SERIAL # 42-50465
Appears the Damifino's life also ended at Walnut Ridge Arkansas in Jan. 1946

Pictured #555 crew members: seated on left, Allen D. Miller Engineer,

I have all the other crewmens names below but cannot quite tell who is who comparing my photographs......

Full crew Photo:

Standing Left to Right : Bridgeman, Paul W. "AKA Paul" (P) ; Porter, Elijah "AKA Porter" (R/O) ; Norton, Corodon "AKA Stud"(WG),

Gilbert, William E. "AKA Bill" (NG) ; Vawter, Wesley Rhodes, "AKA Wes" (CP) ; Smith, John W. "AKA Smitty" (N)

Kneeling Left to Right : Weckerly, Raymond E. "AKA Weck" (TG) ; Hallet, Tom D. "AKA Tom" (B) ;

Miller, Allen D. "AKA Al" (E/TT) ; Atterholt, James R. "AKA Att" (BTG/WG)


LET" ER RIP" .... AIRCRAFT SERIAL # 44-50548

NO PHOTOS YET FOUND......Following military serial number records also shows "Let Er Rip" ending up at Walnut Ridge January 17th, 1946.....likely had the same fate in the scrapyard

Dads last flight plan (Mel Westbrook , Pilot) from Goose Bay Labrador shows "B-24M AIRCRAFT # 0884" Have not yet been able to identify that aircraft.....

Attlebridge Airfield / Attlebridge Diaries

I believe John H. Woolnough was the official 8th. Army Air Force historian. He wrote a book entitled "The Attlebridge Diaries". I've been trying to find this book for a few years. I see it offered on "Amazon" but the paperback editions run from $149.00 to $190.00. I was aghast to see such a price on a paperback book! I was snooping around looking again and found a first edition hardback version for less than any paperback I've seen....The edition is also signed by the author. The book was found in a little out of the way bookstore in England. I am excited to see the book as it has dozens of photos in it.......Another book called "Attlebridge Arsenal" was also written but is even harder to find....the search will go on.......
UPDATE.....CONTACTED EARL WASSOM , THE AUTHOR OF "ATTLEBRIDGE ARSENAL"
AND BY CHANCE HE HAD A FEW COPIES IN HIS POSSESSION.....THE BOOK WILL BE
EN ROUTE SOON....

A few photos of Attlebridge.......

A Quonset hut which still survives......



Another relic still standing...........

The Airfeld

The flight line.

The Control Tower today........still standing.

The Control Tower in 1944.........

A portion of the Air Base Shown

Main Air Field

Co-Pilot Lt. Wesley Vawter "DAMIFINO" B-24J #42-50465

8th. Army Air Corps. 466th Bomb Group 785th. Squadron Crew #555





I've looked at the photos I have of "Damifino" B-24J #42-50465 numerous times. Looking at a slightly different view of the aircraft I suddenly realized that Lt. Wesley Vawters name was written on the right side of the fuselage below the co-pilots window.......Dad and Wes were life long friends...Wesley passed away last May and he will be missed. Dad said he was his closest friend throughout their war years. They shared the same dangers / fears and were very close.... another veteran who did his duty has passed.

I used some different contrast / highlighting to see the name clearer and sure enough, there was Wes's name.......Doesn't show too clearly in this photo but it is there......Wes sent Dad some documents related to their service a couple of years ago and I will post them when I look them over......

This photo below is one that Dad took in England but the angle is such that you cannot see Wes Vawters name on the side. Look at the number of mission "Penguins" in this photo Dad took and you can see that this was early in Damifinos' career...........

"TIMES A'WASTIN & B-24 Interior Photos

"Times A'Wastin" was another aircraft flown by crew #555 ........
Dad flew on "Damifino"....."Dixie"............Times a'wastin............and a couple other aircraft whose names have been forgotten over time..................


Early B-24 Cockpit view.....
I pulled these photos from various sites on the Web............
View from Bombardiers Position on early B-24 ......no nose turret on this early model......
Dad trained on these type earlier model B-24's in the Southern United States before heading to England.

Navigators View from flight position......

Earlier Model B-24 before the electric powered nose turrets were in use......

Quite a view from the nose position I bet.............

Nose gunner / Bombardier position

Later B-24 Model with electric powered nose turret. This is also a 466th. Bomb Group Aircraft

Tail Gunners View...........

Top mechanism of Ball Turret ....Waist Gun Positions............

Waist Gun Positions facing towards Tail Gun Turret Position............

Bomb Bay catwalk, facing cockpit.................

B-24 interior crew positions.......

The B-24 was a fairly large aircraft, but the interior spaces were as cramped as can be....the few crew seats provided were not even padded (to save weight) ....just solid aluminum.




This photo is from the rear of the bomb bay looking forward towards the flight deck. Note the skinny , narrow walkway between the bombs to access the front of the ship...the pilot/co-pilot were in the upper area and the Navigator / Bombadier had to crawl under the pilots position to reach their small, cramped station....to escape in an emergency situation the Bombadier & Navigator had a pretty slim chance of getting out of their positions with their parachutes. It was a tight squeeze on the ground.....in an in - flight emergency situation add "G-Forces" and a certain amount of panic......... You can see the ill fitting bomb bay doors at the bottom of the photo.....a lot of air would come through the seen gaps at over 150 MPH....

Crew Locations: