Built at the Glenn L Martin factory at Baltimore, Maryland as a B-26B-45-MA. Accepted by the Army Air Force on 5/11/43. Next flown by New Castle (2nd Ferry Group), Wilmington, Deleware (from 2/12/43, to Middletown, Pennsylvania (ATC) from 5/12/43. Then listed at Columbus, Ohio (ATC) from 9/12/43, and Godman Field, Fort Knox, Kentucky (from 11/12/43), and assigned to the 391st BG. Flown overseas to the UK via the Southern Ferry Route (Listed as Carribean Wing), departing the USA on 5/1/44. The aircraft record card then lists, SOXO A (Europe - 8th AF) on 5/1/44, and SOXO R (Europe - 8th AF) from 30/1/44. Original group aircraft flown over from the USA by 1st Lt. Samuel A Jacobs. Crash landed at Matching Green after sustaining heavy flak damage on the 23/3/44 mission to the Creil marshalling yards. The pilot 1st Lt. Samuel A Jacobs ran too close to the aircraft landing in front and encountered prop wash which forced the aircraft down, breaking the airframe in half just aft of the top turret. The aircraft then rolled through a ditch which broke off the nose wheel and severely damaging the nose section. The crew escaped unhurt but the aircraft was written off and salvaged for spares. The final entries on the aircraft record card list, SOXO 9AF CON AFMSC on 24/3/44, and, SOXO CON SAL NBD on 24/3/44. |