Delivered by air from the Martin Baltimore plant to the Martin, Omaha (Modification Centre), Nebraska, from 2/6/43. Then listed as New Castle (2nd Ferry Group), Wilmington, Deleware (from 2/6/43), and Omaha, Nebraska (from 12/6/43). Next flown by New Castle (2nd Ferry Group), Wilmington, Deleware (from 22/6/43), to Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia (from 23/6/43). Then flown by New Castle (2nd Ferry Group), Wilmington, Deleware (from 4/8/43), to Presque Isle, Maine (from 9/8/43), from where it was flown to the UK via the Northern Ferry Route. Next listed as UGLY A (Europe - 8th AF) from 2/8/43, and UGLY R (Europe - 8th AF) from 14/9/43. Entered combat with the 1st Pathfinder SQN on 5/3/44. Crashed on take off from A-61 Beauvais / Tille, France on 10/12/44 flown by Capt. Paul H Jones (1st Pathfinder SQN). The aircraft was taking off for a practise bombing mission at 1402 hours, and at 110mph just after the nose wheel was pulled up the left main wheel tire blew out. The pilot kept the aircraft straight by throttling the right engine and holding the right brake, but could not stop at the end of the runway. The aircraft slid sideways on the grass before the right main wheel hit an old bomb crater, breaking off the right main gear, and collapsing the nose wheel. The crew escaped without injury, but the aircraft was written off and salvaged on 11/12/44. The reasons cited for the cause of the accident were the poor condition of the taxi ways and runway, and the shortage of good tires available. The final entry on the aircraft record card lists, CON SAL NBD GLUE R on 11/12/44. Note, there is no mention on the aircraft record card that this aircraft was converted to a B-26B-30, and just refers to a B-26B-1 model. ADDENDUM: Dawson Kershaw's diary gives the aircraft name as "Sack Finder (Nancy Lou)". |