1941-1945
Swope's Crew
1941-1945
Photo courtesy of Ernie Hartman/493rd
Back row l to r: Kennedy-gunner; Swope-pilot; Dubravetz-gunner; Hartman-bomb; Harmon-eng; Moeller-gunner
Front row l to r: Jones-radio; Lanser-nav; Favier-copilot; Aldrich-gunnerNotes from Ernie: William Aldrich was a gunner assigned to our original crew but was dropped when we were sent to Langley field for LAB (Low Altitude Bombing) radar training, before going over-seas. In his place Robert A. Hessemer was added to the crew as "Mickey man" the term used at the time for the radar operator who operated the main radar equipment located on the flight deck behind the cockpit. The radar operator would locate the target at a distance and the bombardier would pick up the target on his radar scope prior to the bomb run. The reason we had one less gunner was because in radar equipped B-24s the ball turret was removed and replaced with a radar antenna.
THREE MORE PHOTOS FROM ERNIE
Five officers from the crew in Iran enroute to India. The B-24 we took to India #43.
Ernie on a motorcycle in Panda.
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