| Built at the Glenn L Martin factory at Baltimore, Maryland as a B-26B-50-MA. Accepted by the Army Air Force on 17/11/43. Next listed at Morris Field, Charlotte, North Carolina (ATC) from 15/12/43. Then went to the 3rd AF staging area at Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia (from 16/12/43). Flown overseas to the UK via the Southern Ferry Route (Listed as Carribean Wing), departing the USA on 25/12/43. The aircraft record card then lists, SOXO A (Europe - 8th AF) on 23/12/43, and SOXO R (Europe - 8th AF) from 30/1/44. Entered service with the 1st Pathfinder Squadron from 27/3/44, and coded IH-F. Damaged on 5/1/45 after flying 63 missions, and sent to the service squadron for repairs. Returned to the squadron on 9/3/45 and was recoded IH-A1. Flew another 10 missions and survived the war. The aircraft had sharks mouth artwork applied on the nose, but had no nose name. Photographed at Y-29, Asche in April 1945. Condemned for salvage on 15/10/45. The final entry on the aircraft record card lists, GLUE CON SAL FEA on 15/10/45. ADDENDUM: Dawson Kershaw's diary gives the aircraft name as "Sharky (Beach Head Express)". |