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:

WW2 Crew Members Reunited

Pilot Mel Westbrook's final Navigation Log , performed by Navigator 2ND. Lt. J. W. Smith, from their final flight from Goose Bay Labrador to Bradley Field, U.S.A. May 22ND. 1945



Lt. Col. Mel Westbrook, 466th Bomb Group, Crew #553
Received a comment this morning on my site from the son of Pilot Mel Westbrook. My Father flew as Navigator with Westbrook on ATC Missions to Sweden during WW2. Seems that Westbrook is still alive and kicking. I'm hoping that the son will contact me with a phone # or e-mail address so our fathers can reunite, by phone at least......He commented as "anonymous" so I have no way to contact him....... He said there is a B-24 reunion in September somewhere...I wish I could get my Dad there....another link to related information is at http://555navigator.blogspot.com/Over the past couple of years I have done searches for Pilot Melvin Westbrook but have had no luck.....hopefully I'll receive a reply from Westbrook's son................

The above photo was taken by my Father in Sweden in April 1945 During their clandestine A.T.C. supply missions.

2ND. Lt. J. W. Smith , Navigator, Photo taken in Stockholm , During clandestine A.T.C. Missions into Stockholm Sweden, April 1945

Pilot, Mel Westbrook with Crew #553 during Combat Bombing operations in 1944 at Attlebridge England


2ND. Lt. J. W. Smith (Montana) of crew #555 during his 36 Mission, Combat Bombing Tour in Attlebridge England, 1944.

Posted by BMW HACKER at 12:10 PM

2 comments:
Anonymous said...
Well, I'm not Mel Westbrook's son, but I did Post. I'm his daughter :). Apple of his eye,,, my email is xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. In fact, the tail gunner of this crew, Richard Chapdelaine's secretary called me today from NY to let me know you were looking for my contact info. My dad - Mel, would love to chat with your dad. Please email me asap and let's see what we can do. The reunion is in Chicago and it's all B24 crews.Look forward to hearing from you,Anne Westbrook (Walls)
July 8, 2009 4:27 PM
BMW HACKER said...
Well, Mel Westbrooks' "son" ended up being his daughter. An acquaintance of hers in N.Y. saw on my blog that I was attempting to contact her and she sent me a note.....Tonight I talked with Pilot Lt.Mel Westbrook, aged 86, and tomorrow he will visit with his old Navigator, 2ND. Lt. J. W. Smith (Dad, aged 93)) after 64 years. They last saw each other in May 1945 after their last B-24 flight together, from England to Bradley Field U.S.A. This is the 2ND. WW2 crew member of Dads' I've found in the past year via this web site.
July 9, 2009 12:05 AM
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B-24 losses, Luck and Fate...........

This B-24 ended up in a precarious position. One can only imagine how the aircrew in the front came out on this one.......The early B-24's had a serious design flaw with the front tricycle landing gear, obviously failed during this landing.



B-17 Battle Damage. This plane flew in after taking this amount of damage. I can't even imagine. The wind roaring through the cabin must have been tremendous. Obviously the front crewmen were casualties.

This B-24 (named "Pegasus", I believe) was in my Dad's Bomb Group, the 466th. They had their hydraulics shot out, losing the brakes and threw out a tied off parachute to help slow the plane down upon landing.

A direct Flak hit. Cannot imagine anyone getting out through the flames.

Another direct Flak hit, cutting the plane in two. Don't know if anyone got out of this one.

Flight Engineer Sgt. Alexander Boris

Below is a photo of Sgt. Alexander Boris. He entered the service at about the same time frame my father did. He was a Consolidated Factory Trained Engineer and specialized on the B-24's which were in use with the 466th. Bomb Squadron. Boris was promoted to Sgt. at some point and he flew as a Flight Engineer on various aircraft, including the Jamaica? . The photo below depicts Sgt. Boris on the engine nacelle of B-24H "Damifino" sometime in late 1944. Flight Engineer Boris was shot down on a mission over France at some point and was picked up by friendly forces, returning to Attlebridge. The name of the plane he was on is unknown. My Father and Boris were stationed at Attlebridge during the same time frames , were involved with the same aircraft and no doubt crossed paths at some point. There were thousands of servicemen stationed there so many men were just" faces in the crowds" to others. The closest friendships were among the crew mates who flew together.





(Below) 2nd. Lt. J. William (Bill) Smith during Air Cadets Training down in the southern U.S., possiblly at Selma Field, Alabama. Dad had over 250 pilots flight hours in before going into Navigation Training. He was given the option to fly as a forward observer for the Army. This would have entailed flying the little Piper Cub type aircraft over enemy lines at low altitude to give artillery fire directions. Thankfully he chose Navigation Training. If he had taken the Forward Observer offer, he may not have survived the war.

This is a Bendix Company poster showing a very early model Consolidated B-24 without any guns or gun turrets installed.

Sgt. Boris and his mates had a mascot / guard dog...he looks pretty ferocious! On the wall is the name of the aircraft "Times-a-Wastin' which is a plane my Dad flew on...

Boris took this photo of a snow - covered "Damifino" during the winter of 1944 - 1945. My Father flew numerous missions on this aircraft. Note the numerous bombs laying on the ground under the aircraft. Bombs were loaded before missions and were not "fused" until after the aircraft was in the air and underway. Normally if the bombers primary and secondary targets were obscured , the bombs were dumped in the English Channel. My Dads' Pilot, Lt. Paul Bridgeman, more than once returned to Attlebridge with unfused bombs on board and landed with them. He told Dad that he just couldn't see wasting them as long as the landing conditions were good and the plane had not suffered any damage.

A photo of the Attlebridge Air Control Tower taken during operations in 1944 and 1945.

Aerial View of Attlebridge Airfield (from Mark Brotherton collection.)