B-24 Liberator (42-40783) landed in Lisbon Airport

02-07-1943

Portela Airport– Lisbon

USAAF 389TH BG/ 556TH BS

Consolidated B-24- 95-CO Liberator 42-40783

Portreath → North Africa

Cap David L. Willhite USA

Sgt Gleason USA

Sgt Max J. Snyder USA

Sgt Taylor USA

Sgt Robert H. Sweatt USA

Lt Harry USA

Sgt George R. Caplinger USA

Sgt Rudy Salties USA

Sgt Hammond USA

Lt James McConnel USA

Sgt William USA

Sgt Samuel W. Flatter USA

Sgt Harold L. Saunders USA

The B-24 landed in the Lisbon, in Portela Airport, at 18.01 hours.

Some of the men on board were ground crew following the squadron to North Africa, where they should have take part on the operation “Tidal Wave”, the Bombing of the Ploesti oil fields in Romenia.

The aircraft was in Portela Airport until July 26 when Willhite, Hammond and Lt. Figueiredo from the Portuguese Aeronáutica Militar took the plane to a Portuguese military base. In the following weeks there were several training flights with the participation of the Americans. The aircraft was latter bought by the Portuguese government for 100.000 dollars and became part of the Aeronáutica Militar.

Willhite, Flatter, McConnel, Salties, Saunders, Snyder and Capliger died on January 7, 1944, on board of B-24 “Trouble”. The objective of the mission was Ludwigshaffen, in Germany, and they where shot down by FW190 flown by the Luftwaffe ace Egon Mayer over Chartres, France. Sweatt was on the same flight but was able to parachute himself. He was hidden by the French resistance during two and a half months, returning to his squadron on March 1944.

Air 1943