Category 801 Bomb Group

The Crash (Part three): 02:20 – 28 April 1944, seen like a beacon

Tim B

Chuckie and his fellow crew onboard B-24D serial no. 42-40997 The Worry Bird (formerly Screamin’ Mimi of the 565th Bomb Squadron, 389th Bomb Group) clipped a hill near its drop zone in Saint-Cyr-de-Valorges, Loire, and crashed killing him and four other crew; three airmen survived.

The GPS location of the plane crash

When it struck the ground on the third downward circle, the B-24 divided into four distinct compartments as it crash landed.

Chuckie and the four other airmen in the first to sections were killed; the three airmen in the back two sections survived after being able to parachute out and away from the plane to safety just before the crash landing.

  1. bombardier-navigator’s compartment in the nose of the aircraft which contained the navigational equipment, bomb-sight, bomb controls, and nose guns or nose turret; where navigator Lieut. Arthur B Pope, Navigator; and bombardier Lieut. Peter Roccia, Bombardier were located
  2. flight deck which included the pilot’s compartment, radio operator’s station, and top gun turret; where flight engineer Chuckie along with pilot Lieut. George W Ambrose and co-pilot Lieut. Robert H Redhair were located
  3. bomb bay compartment in the center of the aircraft under the center wing section (half deck is located above the rear bomb bay); where survivor Sgt. James C. Mooney was located
  4. rear fuselage compartment which contains the lower gun turret, waist guns, bottom camera hatch, photographic equipment, and the tail gun turret; where survivors Staff Sgt. James Heddleson and Sgt. George Henderson were located

Radio operator James Heddleson and gunners George Henderson and James C. Mooney survived. Heddelsman wrote a first person account of the crash in a letter to author Ben Parnell for his 1987 book Carpetbaggers: America’s Secret War in Europe. A transcription is in the archives at the Air Force Academy. A portion is reprinted here.

1st I hit my forehead, partly falling out and then I was thrown backwards toward the “Joe Hole” area, with the back of my head slamming into something in the plane. Sgt. Mooney is gone, he apparently fell out of the “Joe Hole.” I found out later he held onto the chutes (packages). Luckily he wasn’t killed, although the poor man must have suffered terribly. His back was broken, this I was told later. Sgt. Henderson was immediately out of the tail section.

We found each other.
Henderson and I were apparently fairly close to each other … as each of us made our way back to the plane.

The plane seemed to be everywhere
Our plane could be seen like a beacon for miles like a beacon.. . . the ammunition exploding and whatever was in the canisters also going off. . . and the noise it made in the still of the night with everything exploding certainly would attract a lot of attention.

The canisters were scattered everywhere.
The French worked very hard throughout the night, very hard, trying to retrieve them. Sgt. Henderson and I were apparently fairly close to each other and as each of us made our way back to the plane, we found each other.

We assumed everyone was killed except Sgt. Mooney.
Mooney, we tried to find him, hoping he was alright, but it was night and in the mountain area and after a while we gave up. We were not only hurting physically, but also emotionally, myself being only 20 years old at the time.

We could hear noises like cars or truck engines or so we thought.
My left leg was hurt and was getting worse as it was swelling around the knee. We had no idea where we were, but the 1st thing we thought of was it could be the Germans.

We started down the hills toward the valley,
Not knowing anything about the territory, we just decided to slip away in the night, the best way we could. 

Edited from transcribed copy of letter by crash survivor James Heddelson in the archives at the Air Force Academy June – 1998

His back broken, Mooney was helped from the crash area by a French women from the village but was soon handed over to the Germans for urgent care when the seriousness of his injuries became clear. He survived as a POW in a Lyon hospital recovering from his injuries. Heddleson and Henderson successfully evaded the enemy by first hiding under cover, then being taken in by the French Resistance Army the Maquis, living with them for three months and even going along one night to help blow up a railway trestle. In early August an RAF Lockheed Hudson picked them up safely and on 27 August 1944 they returned to Harrington.

Coming up The Crash (Part four): What happened the next day when then sun came up and photos of the crashed plane.

The Crash (Part two): 02:10 hrs – 28 April 1944, the plane strikes high ground and crashes

Tim B

Not only was the B-24 demanding to fly, even for a fully-qualified pilot, it operated at such high weights that takeoffs became dicey even with full power on all engines. Flight stability was marginal, and escape from a stricken machine was extremely difficult once the pilot and copilot had let go of the controls. I imagine these were some of contributing factors on the night Chuckie’s plane crashed.

To better ensure accurate drops, pilots tried to get down to within 400 to 600 feet off the ground and to reduce their flying speed to 130 miles per hour or less. The low speed reduced the chances of damage to parachutes, as the shock of opening is much less at the slower speed. Personnel were normally dropped from a height of 600 ft with containers and packages being dropped from 300 – 500 ft.

Chuckie’s plane made two passes over the target and on the third pass, “we hit or clipped something”

Once again the flaps start down and the bomb-doors open and we are starting our approach. I can look out and see the hills, or mountains on our left side. Suddenly the plane shakes violently, apparently we hit or clipped something.”

The engines were racing and the plane was climbing, seemingly straight up. He yells for us to get out. . . .We no sooner cleared the plane when it starts down again, only this time it is too late, because it is burning when it crashes.”

Transcribed from copy of letter by crash survivor James Heddelson in the archives at the Air Force Academy June – 1998

At 02:10 hrs local Chuckie’s aircraft landed in a fiery crash in Saint-Cyr-de-Valorges, Loire, near Lyon France.

“He was killed. This is a definite.”

Chuckie was killed on impact. Individual Casualty Questionnaire‘s were completed by two of the three crash survivors when they eventually returned back to Harrington three months later after successfully evading the enemy with the help of the French resistance. Both confirm Staff Sgt Charles. M. Wilson was killed in action when his plane crashed. Copies of the actual questionnaires likely completely sometime in August 1944 were found in the MACR and posted below.

  • By survivor Sgt. George Henderson
  • By survivor Sgt. James Heddelson

Next up: The Crash (part three) – seen like a beacon

The Crash (Part one): 01:00 hrs – 28 April 1944, target reached

Tim B

Part one of four posts capturing the story of what actually happened that night of the fiery crash that killed Chuckie compiled from two first person survivor accounts, historical documents filed in the Missing Aircraft Report and WWII archival material.

Chuckie’s Carpetbagger mission the night he was killed was Operation Lackey 3A over the Timdale drop zone detailed in an earlier post. When his aircraft reached a position a few miles from the drop zone near Lyon, France the ‘S’ Phone was used. The system permitted direct two-way voice communication with an aircraft up to a range of 30 miles and the agents on the ground working behind enemy lines to communicate and coordinate landings and the dropping of agents and supplies. It was composed of a “Ground” transceiver and an “Air” transceiver and required the ground operator to face the path of the aircraft. It had the useful trait of transmitting signals that could not be picked up by enemy ground monitoring stations more than one mile away.

“He called over the interphone that he spotted the target.”

It was around 1:00AM in the morning when Chuckie and crew reached the target area. According to the first person account from survivor Sgt James Heddelson, they made the 1st pass over the pinpoint and members of the Resistance on the farmland below for identification. While the S-Phone provided directional information to the pilot it gave no range information for the drop. This could only be done by visual sightings of lights on the ground.

A few miles from the target area all available eyes began searching for the drop area, which would usually be identified by three high powered flashlights placed in a row, with a fourth at a 90 degree angle to indicate the direction of the drop. The recognition torches were placed in the pre-arranged pattern and the light codes were exchanged between the ground and the plane. The aircraft was most vulnerable to enemy fire over the drop zone. The pilot 1st Liet. George Ambrose wasted no time lining up the twinkling markers.

“We circled around for position to make the drop.”

Pilot Ambrose selected half flaps and made the run in at 135 mph – not much above stalling speed. He was guided by the bombardier, who would be releasing the containers over the drop zone. Speed was all important on the ground – the man sized containers were to be quickly taken away into the cover of trees.

(2nd pass) . . . the wing flaps start to come down and the bomb bay doors are starting to open. Suddenly they start back up, we don’t drop and it is like we were practicing and we climb back up.”

“As we start to circle around again, I can still see the lights on the ground in the distance on our drop area. We start in for the 3rd pass.“

“Sgt James Mooney is over the “Joe Hole.” He volunteered for this mission (his first) we only met him shortly before take-off, as a regular crew member Sgt. W. Bollinger reported off sick. I am over the smaller hole behind Sgt. Geo. Henderson, who is in the tailgunners position, getting ready to throw some packages out. Once again the flaps start down and the bomb-doors open and we are starting our approach. I can look out and see the hills, or mountains on our left side.“

“Suddenly the plane shakes violently. Apparently we hit or clipped something.”

The Worry Bird B-24 Liberator

Coming Next: The Crash (Part Two) – The plane hits high ground

Credits: Edited quotes compiled from crash survivor Sgt. Geo. Henderson and Sgt. James Heddelson Interrogation Reports detailing when they last had contact with Chuckie; and a first-person account transcribed from copy of letter from crash survivor Sgt. James Heddelson in the archives at the Air Force Academy.

29 April 1944 – Official Report: Missing in Action

Tim B

Every Army Air Forces organization was required to file a Missing Aircraft Report (MACR) within 48 hours of when an aircraft was officially reported as missing.

Missing Aircraft Report 4307 officially reported Chuckie and his fellow crew as Missing in Action from their mission that took place on 27 April 1944. The report was made 29 April and date stamped at the War Department in Washington on 10 May 1944. This was the report referenced in the letter to Chuckie’s parents.

The Report listed the official crew:

1st Lieut George William Ambrose , Pilot
2nd Lieut Robert Harry Redhair , Co-pilot
2nd Lieut Peter Roccia , Bombadier
2nd Lieut Arthur Bozeman Pope , Navigator
Staff Sargeant Charles M. Wilson, Top Turret Gunner
Sergeant James Cyrll Mooney , Tail Gunner
Sergeant James Heddelson, Radio operator & gunner
Staff Sergeant George W Henderson, Right Waist gunner

Over the following months and years since the crash, the classified “Secret” MACR Report would eventually grow to include additional information uncovered about the crash over time, first hand accounts from the survivors, some photographs, and information about a monument to these brave aviators erected at the crash site by the grateful people of France, and details of the final resting place for each of those killed in action.

The MACR 4307 is now “public information” and available in the National Archives.

Coming up in the next posts, the secret story Chuckie’s parents, brother and sister were never able to know – what actually happened to Chuckie on that night and the gratitude of the people of France for his bravery and heroism and his ultimate sacrifice for freedom that still stands today.

27 April 1944: “1 B-24 is lost”

Tim B

A simple line of text, one sentence, is all that was noted in the official record of Mission 324 for 27 April 1944:

“21 B-24s are dispatched on CARPETBAGGER operations; 1 B-24 is lost”

Chuckie and his fellow crewman took off from Harrington at 22:26 hours on their 5th mission assigned to the 801st. They flew on a secret course to the South West France on an Operational Mission code named Operation Lackey 3A for drop site Timdale. They were one of the 1st crews to fly at night without benefit of the full moon.

The plane never returned to home base.

Specially modified B-24Ds were used in classified missions. In a joint venture between the Army Air Forces and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) code named Operation Carpetbagger. Pilots and crews flew specially modified B-24Ds painted with a glossy black anti-searchlight paint to supply friendly underground forces throughout German occupied Europe. Being some 500 ft above sea level and located not too far away from the supply bases of Cheddington and Holme as well as the British SOE based at Tempsford, Harrington was chosen for the Carpetbagger Operations by the Eighth Air Force’s Special Operation Group in which Chuckie served.

Like all Allied forces who operated behind Nazi lines, Chuckie and the Carpetbaggers were subject to torture and execution in the event of capture, under Hitler‘s notorious Commando Order. Because the teams normally operated in uniform, to apply this order to them was a war crime.

Report 262 noted the result of the Operation as MIA. The Air Forces Organization was required to file a Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) within 48 hours.

Operation Report: Chuckie is Missing in Action

27 April 1944 – Daylong preparations for final flight

Tim B

Operation “Lackey 3A” – Each Carpetbagger mission completed at Harrington took place in a 36 hour cycle, which began at 17:00 hours the day before the flight, when the OSS in London gave Lt. Robert Sullivan a list of approved targets for the following night.  Based on historical documents and the Harrington Museum website, it is possible to frame out Chuckie’s schedule on his last day on earth before he took off with his crew into the dark night sky.

9AM – Weather report & targets

The Commanding Officer selected the night’s targets according to priority of requests from the Resistance groups, reception record of the group, and availability of crews and aircraft. The lists were then given to OSS, who informed the reception teams on times and recognition codes. The Station Weather Officer advised the Commanding Officer, or his deputy, of weather conditions anticipated in the target areas, and at it is decided where it will be practical to send Chuckie and The Worry Bird aircraft. 

11AM – Target agreed

Chuckie’s Squadron Commander is called in and meets before a map in the Group Operations Room with the tabs pinpointing the targets for the night. Together, the squadron leaders select targets for their crews, balancing the difficult with the comparatively easy, the distant with the near, so that each squadron finally will have about the same work load.

Noon – Navigator receives targets

The navigators of the crews receive their targets from the Squadron Navigator. The Worry Bird crew navigator turns in a flight plan to his Squadron Navigator by 3PM. A take off time for Chuckie and his crew is agreed.

3PM – Loading the aircraft

Photo credit: HarringtonMuseum.org.uk

Chuckie and his crew meet with an S-2 Officer and had the opportunity to study the S-2 map and to compare it with their own map. Crew maps are checked for location of the target (latitude, longitude and terrain features). 

4:30 PM Chuckie attends final briefing

Chuckie attends a final briefing session with all crew members. The Intelligence Officer gives any special information which may affect the crew. Next, the Deputy Commander gives general flying and dropping instructions, and finally the Group Navigator gives instructions on the route to be followed whilst over England and the point and altitude for crossing the English coast. He ends up by giving the men a ‘time check’, on which all crew watches are synchronised.

06:00 PM Squadron Commanders and crew navigators briefed

All details, and weather to be expected en route to the drop zones were reviewed. The Worry Bird crew navigator briefs them on the course, the type of reception signal, the code recognition letters for the target, and the terrain features approaching and around the target.

Phot credit: HarringtonMuseum.org.uk

09:00 PM Pre-flight visual check

As the Engineer, Chuckie would have done a pre-flight visual check of the plane prior to take off, and make sure that the gas caps were secured. The Engineer was also responsible to see that the wheels were always locked (prior to landing), and some reports say there were times when he had to lower them by crank, from inside the plane.

Pinpoint Target: A farm near Saint-Cyr-de-Valorges

Tim B

Records show the secret code name for the Carpetbagger mission Chuckie was flying the night he was killed was Operation Lackey over the Timdale drop zone near Lyon, France –“TIMBALE DZ 45deg 57’N, 04deg 22’E”. The exact location of the planned drop is still a farm today and can be seen on Google maps is here.

On its final approach to make the drop “on lights” where members of the resistance were waiting on the ground, the plane hit a hill at 02:00AM and separated into four parts when crashing at nearby Saint Cyr de Valorges (Loire), France, killing five of the eight crew members including Chuckie.

Curious to see pictures of the village where Chuckie died on that hill, I did a Google search. Right there as I’d imagined. Beautiful, green rolling farmland, high wooded hills, peaceful, wide open expansive views. So familiar. It’s the same topography of Western Pennsylvania where Chuckie and this author grew up.

A very dangerous place to be flying a huge B-24 bomber in the dark of night just 130 feet above the ground at an airspeed of near stalling. The heroism, their bravery now even more clear. God bless them all.

One important lesson taught to the Carpetbaggers was the need to memorize the route to the drop zone. Pilots learned to literally map read their way by moonlight, memorizing landmarks – the most successful pilot sometimes spent hours studying the route. However, the B-24s were fitted with the best possible flying and navigational instruments. The most important flying instrument was a radio altimeter giving an accurate height readout on the low level flights.

The route to the drop zone was achieved by a team effort, the bombardier sat in the glazed nose on a swivel seat reading off landmarks to the navigator sitting at his table behind the blackout curtains. The pilot was provided with large blister windows giving a good downward view of the ground.

First radio navigation aid to be used on a mission was the Gee set, this recorded directional signals which were marked on a special chart – accurate within a quarter of a mile over England, but prone to jamming over enemy territory. The Rebecca / Eureka directional system explained on an earlier post consisted of a ground beacon (Eureka) set up on the drop zone, this was triggered by a signal from Rebecca set in the aircraft. Eureka then automatically sent out signals which were picked up by a calibrated receiver, this indicated the aircraft’s position in relation to the drop zone.

Relief map of Saint-Cyr-de-Valorges
Chuckie and his crew flew at night from Great Britain to deep into German occupied France
to drop supplies to the French resistance.
They crash landed at the red dot pinpointing Saint-Cyr-de-Valorges.

Coming up over the next 10 days are daily posts with details of that last mission, monuments to Chuckie and fellow Carpetbaggers by the grateful people of France and, for the first time, a family visits Chuckie’s grave in France for Memorial Day.

24-25 April 1944 – Reception Excellent

Tim B

Report 236 – Another completed operation. The Ambrose crew completed operation “Marksman 20”, its third successful mission. Chuckie took off from Harrington at 10:05PM on 24 April and returned to home base safely at 5:00AM the next morning. The Worry Bird B-24 Liberator reached its target at 1:05AM. The crew identified the pinpoint for the drop by “four white lights in a square and a center white light flashing the letter “J”. They dropped 12 containers and 8 packages to the waiting resistance army flying 1000 feet above the ground.

The report notes that the drop was made “between two wooded hills – not adequate for low (400’) drop.” Presumably, this was the exact same drop location in France referenced on their prior mission. Pilot Ambrose notes in his personal report that “reception excellent despite lack of “S” phone + “Rebecca.”

This was the Ambrose Crew’s last completed operation and the last time the crew flew together as one unit. On The Worry Bird’s next and final flight three nights later, regular crew member Sergeant Wilford Bollinger did not fly because he was sick in the infirmary. In his place, Sergeant James Cyrll Mooney volunteered to substitute for him. More coming up. . .

Operation Report of Chuckie’s third successful operation – “Marksman 20”

23-24 April 1944 – Rebecca, can you hear me?

Tim B

Report 277 – Chuckie and his crew took off from Harrington on 23 April 1944 on S E C R E T Operation “Peter 5v” at 9:50PM in the evening and returned back to home base at 5:00AM the next morning. It was the Ambrose Crew’s second successful Carpetbagger operation – “Completed.”

They reached the target in France at 2:15AM in the morning and dropped 12 Containers and 10 Packages “as briefed” directly on their pinpoint target which the report notes they easily identified “By lights – three amber” the French resistance members set up on the ground. It took them two runs but the drop was made “on lights“ at a low flying altitude of just 450 feet above the ground. They were out “O.K.” and 10 leaflets were “dropped on route back at towns.” No enemy opposition was encountered.

“Could get very little of conversation”

This operation must have been occurred during a non-moon period. The report references the “Rebecca” short-range radio navigation system used for the dropping of airborne forces and their supplies. The system was used by Carpetbaggers for dropping supplies to resistance fighters in occupied Europe, after delivery of the portable Eureka unit that was used as a homing device on the ground.

Photo credit: http://www.militaryradio.com/spyradio/ppn-2-3.jpg

Beacon transmitters, “Eureka,” were used by agents on the ground to signal the location of a desired air drop to the transmitter “Rebecca” on the aircraft. These signals could be activated from up to seventy miles away to enable the aircraft crew to pin-point its drop zone.

Rebecca calculated the range to the Eureka based on the timing of the return signals, and its relative position using a highly directional antenna.

On this mission the system did not seem to work. In his personal report after the mission, the pilot Ambrose noted “15 Nis on Rebecca – picked up “P” – “S” phone poor – could get very little of conversation 10 Nis from target”

Eureka sets weighed up to 100 lbs and had to be parachuted in to Resistance groups in advance of future drops. Many Resistance radio-operators refused to use Eureka because they didn’t want to lug the set, which was heavy, or run the risk of being caught by the Germans with it in their possession.

Operation Report from Chuckie’s mission on 23-24 April 1944

The ‘Rebecca’ name comes from the phrase “Recognition of beacons“. The ‘Eureka’ name comes from the Greek word meaning “I have found it!“.

18 – 20 April 1944 ~ On Leave in London

Tim B

The Carpetbaggers had a hiatus of ten nights between 11 April and 21 April 1944 when combat missions from Harrington, England to France resumed. Historical records show many crews, including Chuckie’s, went off base on personal leave starting on 18 April. No record exists of where in England Chuckie and his fellow Ambrose Crew traveled on their three days of leave.

This undated photo captures a few US Army Air Force personnel enjoying a day of leave in London. They are sitting on the Westminster Bridge with the Thames River behind them. A happy day in London like the one in this photo was, perhaps, how Chuckie spent his last days.


Photo Credit: ARGUNNERS Magazine

The Carpetbaggers were all ages, shapes and sizes.
They became close friends.

Photo Credits: The Carpetbagger Project – Secret Heroes

Off duty activities at Harrington included church services, eating at the mess hall, mail call, getting paid at the payroll ten, checking out the library, listening to music and raising puppies and pigs.

  • The Library
  • The Mess Hall
  • Church Services
Photo Credits: The Carpetbagger Project – Secret Heroes

Historian Thomas L Ensminger’s book Spies, Supplies and Moonlit Skies, Volume II: The French Connection, April-June 1944, provides a wealth of illumniating and previously unknown facts related to Chuckie’s Carpetbagger missions based on historical records. Upon their return to active duty at Harrington, all remaining operational nights in April 1944 would be more dangerous dark flights – with no moonlight to help guide them. Whether this was necessity, or deemed as necessary for the buildup prior to D-Day and to be tested, is not recorded.

Chuckie would make just two more flights.