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”
Report 277 – Chuckie and his crew took off from Harrington on 23 April 1944 on SEC R ET 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.
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 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.
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.
The Ambrose Crew had better luck on its second operation. Report 198 notes the results of the nine and half hour operation “Marksman 20” as completed. After flying a few hours to behind enemy lines in France, Chuckie and his fellow crew dropped 12 containers, 6 six packages and 5 leaflets in France and returned safely back to Harrington in England.
Loading the aircraft
Once the flight was confirmed, the target went to the OSS Liaison Officer at Harrington so that he could draw up a list of required containers and packages and arrange delivery to the plane. Containers were consigned to the Group Ordnance Officer, whose men first snapped on parachutes then delivered them to The Worry Bird where Armament Section men stood ready to load the containers into the aircraft. Packages are delivered to the Armament Officer and taken to the aircraft also for loading.
Leaflets were used to disseminate both pro-Allied and anti-Axis propaganda, with the aim of damaging enemy morale and sustaining the morale of the occupied countries. Usually six to ten bundles of 4,000 were loaded onto the plane according to the stock on hand, the length of flight and the time over enemy territory. No leaflets are dropped near Carpetbagger targets, for security reasons.
The OSS Liaison Officer and his men check each aircraft to ensure that the proper loading is in place.
The Worry Bird is ready for take off.
Report 198: Chuckie and his crew took off at 9:24PM in the evening and returned at 7AM the next morning. They found the pinpoint, the letter “J” was clearly distinct on the ground from a large bonfire. Flying just 400 feet above the ground, they made the drop of containers and packages to the resistance members.
After leaving the target thirty to fifty miles behind, the dispatcher drops the leaflets on villages and towns passed over on the homeward flight.
They encountered “scattered machine gun fire” between Loire, a river in West central France, and Cabourg in the Normandy region of France on the English channel.
Pilot Ambrose’s personal report: “The target area was not to (sic) good. Hill adjacent to target – pine used for J target made smoke over the area.”The intelligence gathered on the flights was valuable for improving operations and helping guide more successful future operations.
Operation Report 198 from Chuckies successful operation
Chuckie must have been exhausted from the long mission but likely also exhilarated from the adrenaline, proud of his crew’s success that night.
Chuckie’s first mission was actually the second night of combat missions at Harrington. Twenty two aircraft lifted off the runway that night.
Report 168: Chuckie’s first flight mission is documented in a Secret Mission Report dated 10 April 1944. These reports were filed by the Commanding Officer immediately after each aircrew were debriefed when they returned back from its “Special Operation.”
Report 168 lists Chuckie as the Engineer of the B-24 Liberator that took off for France at 10:27 PM on 9 April and returned at 5:40 AM the next morning 10 April. The plane was carrying 12 containers, 8 leaflets and 9 packages to be dropped to the resistance in France.
Their Target was Peter 47 – specific coordinate was 45° 26′ N 01° 25′ E
Result of Operation: Not Complete
B-24 Liberators were big planes for carrying supplies and people. The bottom gun turret had been taken out and the hole covered with plywood. The opening was known as a “dump hole” or “joe hole.” Supplies were all packed in long tubes that the crew shoved out when the pilot signaled.
The reason given: “Visibility of the target was very poor – a great deal of ground haze prevented navigation of check points with target was the reason.” The report also notes that at 1:21 AM they encountered enemy opposition enemy opposition at 3,000 feet on their left flank.
I was amazed when after a few clicks on the internet, I was able to get a copies of all the Mission Reports for each of Chuckie’s Carpetbagger missions. The first one was filed 10 April 1944. Stay tuned for the rest.
The Mission Report from Chuckie’s first Carpetbagger Mission
Interrogation (debriefing) of Crews
When an aircraft completed its mission and returned to the home base, its crew were driven directly to the Intelligence Library situated at the rear of the Group Operations Building for debriefing by S-2 Officers.
Drop success that evening had been fourteen complete and nine incomplete. Three out of the four agents had been delivered, 156 of 252 containers had been delivered, 202 of 210 bundles delivered and 95 out of a possible 139 packages had been delivered.
The interrogation may find a crew showing the stress of a hard dangerous mission which has lasted from five to eight hours. Free, frank interchange of information is encouraged. The S-2 Officers handle the jumpy crew with a great deal of tact and flexibility. An official Report is then filed by the Commanding Officer.
The movie playing that night was Murder on the Waterfront – the 1943 American film staring Warren Douglas and Joan Winfield.
Records show that Chuckie was the Flight Engineer of “The Ambrose Crew” on the B-24 Liberator “The Worry Bird” for those Carpetbagger missions in April 1944. A B-24 carried a crew of eight to ten men (a ten man crew was most common) comprised of both officers and enlisted men. Among the six enlisted crewmen, each crew typically had three specialists: the Flight Engineer which Chuckie was; Radio Operator; and Aircraft Armorer.
The Flight Engineer had to be a qualified airplane mechanic. Chuckie had gone through training school (and in all probability) at Kesssler Air Force Base, in Biloxi, Mississippi. It focused on specialized training in Consolidated B-24 Liberator maintenance. The Liberator was a complicated and advanced machine, leading to prolonged training programs.
The Engineer perhaps knew more about the B-24 than any other member of the crew, including the airplane commander. In emergencies, the airplane commander turned to the engineer. The duties of the flight engineer were to assist the pilot and copilot in monitoring the performance of the engines and to keep track of fuel burn.
The Engineer was usually also the top turret gunner, a position that allowed him to monitor the four engines and where the Pilot could call to him in a hurry, when something went wrong and needed fixing, while in the air. The Pilot and Co-Pilot’s attention were needed in the duties of flying the plane. The top turret gunner’s position provided a good view of the engines as well as a panoramic view of the surrounding airspace.
The May 1, 1945 version of the B-24 Pilot Training Manual provides the following duties for the Flight Engineer:
Principal duty: Aerial Engineer
Secondary duty: Top Turret Gunner
Added duty: Qualified for Copilot Duties
Added duty: Parachute Officer
Added duty: First Aid Specialist
Added duty: Assistant Radio Operator
One veteran noted that the Engineer usually got to fly the plane many times, and on occasion, to even take off. Maybe Chuckie got to do that too.
For over fifty years, families of American servicemen Killed In Action on Operation Carpetbagger like Chuckie knew very little about their loved ones’ dangerous, top-secret mission or the circumstances of their death. It was classified, top-secret. During World War II, Operation Carpetbagger was a general term used for the aerial resupply of weapons, ammunition, food, medical supplies, and sometimes even spies to resistance fighters in France, Italy, and other European countries by the U.S. Army Air Forces.
Carpetbaggers Insignia
Today, thanks to declassification of Army Air Force and OSS records beginning in the 1980s, and many years of effort by a handful of researchers, there is considerable information on Operation Carpetbagger now available. It can easily be found in national archives, history books, museums, news articles, movies, websites and YouTube videos. (Don’t worry reader, the entire history won’t be covered on this blog. Just what’s relevant to complete Chuckie’s story.)
Operating under the cover of night darkness and often in weather considered impossible for flying, they flew Consolidated B-24 Liberators to supply French partisan groups north of the Loire River in support of the upcoming D-Day invasion. Chuckie and his air crew joined the Carpetbaggers at Harrington on 25 March 1944 and flew five successful missions to France and back again over the following weeks of April 1944.
They dropped canisters of supplies to resistance fighters: radios, batteries for radios, weapons, ammunition, first aid supplies, food, clothing, and many other daily necessities. They also delivered items used in the world of espionage agents. A parachute attached to one end of a canister, and the other end had a shock-absorbing cap to protect the contents. Once on the ground, resistance forces quickly gathered the canisters before German forces could arrive.
I found on YouTube a fascinating 15-minute Central Intelligence agency archival film hat’s been digitally restored of the actual Carpetbaggers at Harrington. At minute 12:40, watch for the aviator checking his watch on the farthest left. When he lifts his head up and looks at the camera, is it possible we catch a glimpse of Chuckie for a brief moment? Some in Chuckie’s family think so.
In addition to the dangers from German night fighters and flak, the Carpetbaggers always ran the risk of crashing into hillsides as they made low-level parachute deliveries to the resistance forces waiting below. I found out that is exactly what happened to Chuckie and his fellow airman of “The Worry Bird” that fateful night. Stay tuned.
Sometime shortly after 14 April 1944, Chuckie received news that his brother and his wife had a baby girl, his first niece. It was most likely sent by V-Mail.
During WWII many babies were born while their fathers, brothers, cousins and uncles were away at the battlefront. Letters served as a vital link between loved ones and friends. V-Mail became extremely popular. It was a quick way to deliver a lot of mail to troops, boost moral and for the troops to get caught up on what was going on at home.
The emotional power of letters was heightened by the fear of loss and the need for communication during times of separation. The Post Office, War, and Navy Departments worked together to ensure V-Mail for civilians and service members around the world. The Postal Museum has an interesting and informative Victory Mail online exhibit.
“Here’s a photo of your new niece.”
Because V-Mail stationery served as a letter and envelope in one, enclosed objects and photographs were prohibited. In 1943 the War Department amended the restriction on sending photographs allow photos of “infants born after a soldier departed for overseas or those under 1 year of age” and it could include the mother. The photographs were transposed onto the regulation forms “without altering, treating, or sensitizing the form in any manner.”
Here is the regulation standard photo taken by Chuckie’s brother to be sent V-Mail to Chuckie on the battlefront – his newborn infant niece, born after Chuckie departed for overseas, held by her mother. It is unlikely that Chuckie ever saw this photo.
Chuckie would never meet his neice. He never came home.
Chuckie’s sister-in-law holding his newborn niece
Chuckie's niece is the Unforgotten Glory blog author.
Sometime shortly after 14 April 1944, Chuckie received news that his brother and his wife had a baby girl, his first niece. It was most likely sent by V-Mail.
During WWII many babies were born while their fathers, brothers, cousins and uncles were away at the battlefront. Letters served as a vital link between loved ones and friends. V-Mail became extremely popular. It was a quick way to deliver a lot of mail to troops, boost moral and for the troops to get caught up on what was going on at home.
The emotional power of letters was heightened by the fear of loss and the need for communication during times of separation. The Post Office, War, and Navy Departments worked together to ensure V-Mail for civilians and service members around the world. The Postal Museum has an interesting and informative Victory Mail online exhibit.
“Here’s a photo of your new niece.”
Because V-Mail stationery served as a letter and envelope in one, enclosed objects and photographs were prohibited. In 1943 the War Department amended the restriction on sending photographs allow photos of “infants born after a soldier departed for overseas or those under 1 year of age” and it could include the mother. The photographs were transposed onto the regulation forms “without altering, treating, or sensitizing the form in any manner.”
Here is the regulation standard photo taken by Chuckie’s brother to be sent V-Mail to Chuckie on the battlefront – his newborn infant niece, born after Chuckie departed for overseas, held by her mother. It is unlikely that Chuckie ever saw this photo.
Chuckie would never meet his neice. He never came home.
Chuckie’s sister-in-law holding his newborn niece
Chuckie's niece is the Unforgotten Glory blog author.
Chuckie’s 36th Bombardment Squadron and the 406th Bombardment Squadron formed the 482nd Bomb Group at the beginning of 1944. It was the only U.S. 8th Army Air Force Bomb Group formed outside of the United States during WWII.
On 1 April 1944 they were placed under the provisional 801st Bomb Group at RAF Harrington. Twenty four of the fat B-24s arrived and were soon squatting on the hardstandings round the perimeter of the airbase. More than a thousand troops would move into Harrington during April of 1944. The first “Carpetbagger” missions were carried out by this unit under the control of General “Wild Bill” Donovan’s Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The group has been generally recognized as the ancestor of today’s Air Force Special Operations.
The insignia of the 36th Bomb Squadron (Radar Counter Measures) from The American Air Museum in Britain
Gen. William J. Donovan Heads Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) was a wartime intelligence agency of the U.S. during World War II, and a predecessor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The OSS consisted of men and women from many areas and backgrounds — lawyers, historians, bankers, baseball players, actors, and businessmen. Their assignment was to conduct espionage, sabotage, and morale operations against the Axis powers, and conduct in-depth research and analysis on the nation’s enemies and their capabilities.
The OSS was instrumental in many of the successes during World War II, including providing the U.S. government with advance information about German efforts to develop atomic weapons and the plot to assassinate Hitler.
Donovan became known as the “Father of American Intelligence. More information on him and the OSS can be found on the CIA website.
Unforgotten Glory 
