391st BOMB GROUP: Aircraft information for serial number: 42-95851
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Aircraft information for serial number: 42-95851
Taxi Squadron Serial Code Name Source Taxi Sheets
851-M57442-958514L-MVIVACIOUS VERONICAOriginal website19
851-U57442-958514L-UVIVACIOUS VERONICATaxi sheets. Redesignation of 851-M ?2

Aircraft history for serial number: 42-95851 (kindly provided by Paul Clouting).
Built at the Glenn L Martin factory at Baltimore, Maryland as a B-26B-50-MA. Accepted by the Army Air Force on 16/11/43. Then flown by New Castle (2nd Ferry Group), Wilmington, Deleware (from 11/12/43), to Godman Field, Fort Knox, Kentucky (from 12/12/43), and assigned to the 391st BG. Flown overseas to the UK via the Southern Ferry Route (Listed as Carribean Wing), departing the USA on 6/1/44. The aircraft record card then lists, SOXO A (Europe - 8th AF) on 6/1/44, and SOXO R (Europe - 8th AF) from 30/1/44. Original group aircraft. Was originally named "Vivacious Veronica", but the name was later shortened to just "Veronica". Shot down by flak on route to the target on the 7/8/44 mission to the Nogent Le Roi railroad bridge, France. The pilot was 1st Lt. William K Callison, who had earlier ferried her over from the USA. The aircraft took a direct hit in the left wing soon after crossing the enemy coast, snap rolled, and went into a spin crashing near Conde Sur Noi. Only the engineer, S/Sgt. Joseph E Hanzl managed to bail out before the aircraft crashed and he survived. The aircraft record card lists this serial as condemned on 8/8/44 at an advanced landing strip (GLUE 9AF CON ON ALS on 8/8/44).

Incident listing for serial number: 42-95851
Mission Source_id Description Serial
55M07795?MACR 07795?, 42-95851. 11 May 194442-95851
136M07795MACR 07795, 42-95851. 7 Aug 194442-95851

Picture listing for serial number: 42-95851
Picture Title Picture Category Serial
"Vivacious"Nose Art42-95851

Taxi Sheet listing for serial number: 42-95851
Mission Date Station Box Flight Position Pilot Squadron Hardstand Taxi Serial
425 Feb 1944166122Callison57431851-M42-95851
702 Mar 1944166226Nunnally57431851-M42-95851
3122 Apr 1944166213Callison57431851-M42-95851
4301 May 1944166221Sullens57531851-M42-95851
4401 May 1944166221Laframboise57531851-M42-95851
4502 May 1944166122Callison57431851-M42-95851
4707 May 1944166215Callison57431851-M42-95851
4707 May 1944166216Wolfe57431851-M42-95851
6015 May 1944166236Watson57431851-M42-95851
6119 May 1944166136Carson57431851-M42-95851
8103 Jun 1944166132Evans57431851-U42-95851
8204 Jun 1944166116Callison57431851-M42-95851
8406 Jun 1944166125Carson57431851-M42-95851
8808 Jun 1944166226Callison57431851-M42-95851
9312 Jun 1944166112Horridge57431851-M42-95851
9513 Jun 1944166122Baehr57231851-M42-95851
9614 Jun 1944166112Fleck57531851-M42-95851
9715 Jun 1944166236Koehl57231851-U42-95851
10020 Jun 1944166135Callison57431851-M42-95851
10221 Jun 1944166225Baxter57331851-M42-95851
10906 Jul 1944166122Callison57431851-M42-95851