Andonno's B-24 Liberator, Italy
Pilot : second lieutenant Omer Mc Collum
 
Mission
Date
November 11, 1944, MACR 1197
Base
 
 
Target
Bombardment of S.R.O. factory and Anthéor's viaduc
Zone of crash
Mount Rucustun, Andonno,(3 miles Cuneo S/O), Italy
Plane
Type
B-24D-30-CO
Serial
42-40105 "Yankee Doddle Dandy"
Squadron
15th AF, 98th BG
Crew
1
Pilot
S/Lt
Omer Mc Collum
 
 
2
Copilot
 
 
 
 
3
Navigator
S/Lt
Ralph Potter
 
 
4
Bomber
 
 
 
 
5
Radio
 
 
 
 
6
Gunner
 
 
 
 
7
Gunner
 
 
 
 
8
Gunner
 
 
 
 
9
Gunner
 
 
 
 
10 Gunner        

Thursday november 11, 1944, the new created 15th American Air Force , whose headquarters were then based in Tunisia, dispatched for the first time its four-engined planes over France.

Then, 32 B-24 Liberator belonging to the 98th Bomber-Group, attacked the ball bearings factory of Annecy, the S.R.O., and during the return Anthéor's viaduct(Var, France).

If Annecy was severely hit by this raid, unfortunately generating several civilian deaths, a four-engined plane during the one-way flight and whereas the formation flew over the Italian Alps, had to make half turn for technical problems

It was the B-24 D 42-40105 nicknamed "Yankee Doddle Dandy".

Alone, this plane will be the prey of 7 Messerschmitt 109 belonging to Jagdgruppe (JG) 77, whose bases were disseminated around Cuneo.

Burning, with 3 killed men on board, the B-24 will crash close to the top of the Rucustun mount, in the valley of the Terms of Valdieri, approximately 3 miles south/west of Cuneo.

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From the 7 crewmen remaining who evacuated the B-24 a man will be killed while het went down, strapped to his opened parachute, while another wounded  during landing will be made prisoner.

The 5 last crewmen, including the pilot, will succeed in escaping from the occupant and will be helped by the Italian underground under Aldo Quaranta's authority.

To not forget this act of war, was inaugurated by Aéro-Re.L.I.C and the municipality of Validieri/Andonno, 50 years later, November 11, 1993, at the foot of the Rucustun mount, in the little village of Andonno, a monument in the memory of the four young aviators killed during the attack.

6 years later, november 11, 1999, Ron and Gary Potter, sons of the navigator of the plane (second lieutenant Ralph Potter), came for the first time from their life to pray at the foot of the monument, in the presence of the local councillors and of a many people.

These two men, wery touche, will came back home, carrying in their luggage pans and covered in aluminium, manufactured 55 years before, with the wreks of their father's plane...

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© Copyright Aéro-Re.L.I.C. / B. Cyvoct 2004. All rights reserveds.