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Tracy Crew (AZON 10) - Assigned 753rd Squadron - May 26, 1944 |
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1Lt John T. Tracy Crew (L-R) |
Standing: John Tracy - P, Edgar Huff - CP, Ben Costello - N, James "Buzz" Busby - B
Kneeling: Bill Case - Arm/G, Albert Cramlett - G, Truman Hagen - G, Melvin Keim - G, James Loyd - E.
(Not pictured: Arthur Albert - RO)
(Photo: William Case)
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Tracy crew - Completed Tour |
| Name |
Pos |
Status |
Date |
Notes |
| 1Lt John T. Tracy |
P |
CT |
25 Dec 1944 |
Completed Tour |
| 1Lt Edgar J. Huff |
CP |
CT |
30 Dec 1944 |
Trsf to 56th FG |
| 1Lt Benny L. Costello |
N |
CT |
23 Oct 1944 |
Trsf to 755th Sq |
| 1Lt James N. Busby |
B |
CT |
25 Dec 1944 |
Completed Tour |
| T/Sgt Arthur A. Albert |
RO |
CT |
25 Dec 1944 |
Completed Tour |
| T/Sgt James A. Loyd |
E |
CT |
25 Dec 1944 |
Completed Tour |
| S/Sgt William L. Case |
Arm/G |
CT |
25 Dec 1944 |
Completed Tour |
| S/Sgt Arthur C. Cramlett |
G |
CT |
25 Dec 1944 |
Completed Tour |
| S/Sgt Melvin K. Keim |
G |
CT |
25 Dec 1944 |
Completed Tour |
| S/Sgt Truman O. Hagen |
G |
CT |
25 Dec 1944 |
Completed Tour |
The Tracy crew was one of ten crews specially trained in the AZON project. They came to the 753rd Squadron as a group in May 1944 and participated in several AZON missions in June through September along with regular operations that the 458th was carrying out at the time.
The B-24 that Tracy's crew flew over from the States was 44-40283 "Lassie Come Home".
Tracy and most of his crew completed their tour of missions on Christmas Day 1944 and were returned to the States in January 1945.
On October 23, 1944, navigator 1Lt Benny Costello was transferred to the 755th Squadron as lead navigator as part of 1Lt Robert Morford crew (AZON 07). Costello went on to complete his tour and was rotated back to the States in January 1945, the same time as his old crew in the 753rd.
1Lt Edgar J. Huff, co-pilot, qualified for first pilot in December 1944 and flew his final five missions from the left-hand seat. He was transferred to the 61st Fighter Squadron 56th Fighter Group on December 30, 1944 only three days after his last mission as a bomber pilot. He flew P-47's in the 56th, it is believed, until the war's end.
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B-24J 44-40283 "Lassie Come Home" |
Photo cortesy: Mike Bailey
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Tracy Crew Missions |
|
DATE |
TARGET |
PILOT |
458th Msn # |
Pilot Msn# |
Cmd Pilot |
LD |
Serial |
RCL |
Sqdn |
A/C Msn # |
A/C Name |
MIA |
Notes |
|
8-Jun-1944 |
UNSPECIFIED TARGETS |
TRACY |
AZ 4 |
-- |
|
|
44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
-- |
LASSIE COME HOME |
|
ABANDONED |
|
14-Jun-1944 |
5 TARGETS |
TRACY |
AZ 6 |
1 |
|
|
44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
1 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
|
|
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15-Jun-1944 |
3 RAILWAY BRIDGES |
TRACY |
AZ 7 |
2 |
|
|
44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
2 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
|
|
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24-Jun-1944 |
NO BALL - ST OMER |
TRACY |
77 |
ABT |
|
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42-51097 |
T |
J3 |
-- |
UNKNOWN 022 |
|
MSN #3 |
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29-Jun-1944 |
ASCHERSLEBEN |
TRACY |
80 |
3 |
|
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41-29352 |
K |
7V |
32 |
WOLVE'S LAIR |
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5-Jul-1944 |
LE COULET, BEL A/F |
TRACY |
84 |
ABT |
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41-28719 |
Q |
J3 |
-- |
PADDLEFOOT |
|
ABORT |
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11-Jul-1944 |
MUNICH |
TRACY |
88 |
4 |
|
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42-110163 |
M |
J4 |
6 |
TIME'S A WASTIN |
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16-Jul-1944 |
SAARBRUCKEN |
TRACY |
91 |
ABT |
|
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41-28709 |
I |
7V |
-- |
LUCKY STRIKE |
|
ABORT |
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17-Jul-1944 |
3 NO BALLS |
TRACY |
92 |
5 |
|
|
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
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18-Jul-1944 |
TROARN |
TRACY |
93 |
6 |
|
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42-100431 |
B |
J4 |
26 |
BOMB-AH-DEAR |
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19-Jul-1944 |
KEMPTEN |
TRACY |
94 |
7 |
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42-50314 |
L |
7V |
37 |
ETO PLAYHOUSE |
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31-Jul-1944 |
LUDWIGSHAFEN |
TRACY |
99 |
8 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
15 |
TABLE STUFF |
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1-Aug-1944 |
T.O.s FRANCE |
TRACY |
100 |
9 |
|
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
16 |
TABLE STUFF |
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3-Aug-1944 |
2 NO BALLS |
TRACY |
102 |
10 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
18 |
TABLE STUFF |
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4-Aug-1944 |
ROSTOCK |
TRACY |
103 |
11 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
19 |
TABLE STUFF |
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5-Aug-1944 |
BRUNSWICK/WAGGUM |
TRACY |
105 |
12 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
20 |
TABLE STUFF |
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7-Aug-1944 |
GHENT |
TRACY |
107 |
13 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
22 |
TABLE STUFF |
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9-Aug-1944 |
SAARBRUCKEN |
TRACY |
109 |
14 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
24 |
TABLE STUFF |
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14-Aug-1944 |
DOLE/TAVAUX |
TRACY |
113 |
15 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
26 |
TABLE STUFF |
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18-Aug-1944 |
WOIPPY |
TRACY |
116 |
16 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
28 |
TABLE STUFF |
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24-Aug-1944 |
HANNOVER |
TRACY |
117 |
17 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
29 |
TABLE STUFF |
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1-Sep-1944 |
RAVENSTEIN, HOLLAND |
TRACY |
AZ 14 |
18 |
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42-100431 |
B |
J4 |
36 |
BOMB-AH-DEAR |
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5-Oct-1944 |
PADERBORN |
TRACY |
127 |
19 |
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
34 |
TABLE STUFF |
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7-Oct-1944 |
MAGDEBURG |
TRACY |
129 |
20 |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
5 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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14-Oct-1944 |
COLOGNE |
TRACY |
132 |
21 |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
8 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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15-Oct-1944 |
MONHEIM |
TRACY |
133 |
22 |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
9 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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19-Oct-1944 |
MAINZ |
TRACY |
135 |
23 |
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44-40287 |
J |
J4 |
18 |
BACHELOR'S BEDLAM |
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30-Oct-1944 |
HARBURG |
TRACY |
138 |
ASSY |
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41-28697 |
Z |
Z5 |
-- |
SPOTTED APE |
|
753rd |
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2-Nov-1944 |
BIELEFELD |
TRACY |
139 |
23 |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
12 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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5-Nov-1944 |
KARLSRUHE |
TRACY |
141 |
24 |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
14 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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8-Nov-1944 |
RHEINE |
TRACY |
143 |
25 |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
16 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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10-Nov-1944 |
HANAU A/F |
TRACY |
145 |
26 |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
18 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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25-Nov-1944 |
BINGEN |
TRACY |
148 |
27 |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
20 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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30-Nov-1944 |
HOMBURG |
Tracy |
151 |
28 |
|
|
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
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12-Dec-1944 |
HANAU |
TRACY |
156 |
29 |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
22 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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18-Dec-1944 |
KOBLENZ |
TRACY |
-- |
-- |
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
-- |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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ABANDONED |
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24-Dec-1944 |
SCHONECKEN |
TRACY |
157 |
30 |
|
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
23 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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25-Dec-1944 |
PRONSFELD |
TRACY |
158 |
31 |
|
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44-40283 |
I |
J4 |
24 |
LASSIE COME HOME |
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Mission list compiled from 458th group records
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1Lt Edgar Huff's missions as first pilot |
|
DATE |
TARGET |
PILOT |
458th Msn # |
Pilot Msn# |
Cmd Pilot |
LD |
Serial |
RCL |
Sqdn |
A/C Msn # |
A/C Name |
MIA |
Notes |
|
12-Dec-1944 |
HANAU |
HUFF |
156 |
1 |
|
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
45 |
TABLE STUFF |
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18-Dec-1944 |
KOBLENZ |
HUFF |
-- |
-- |
|
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44-40285 |
H |
J4 |
-- |
TABLE STUFF |
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24-Dec-1944 |
SCHONECKEN |
HUFF |
157 |
2 |
|
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44-40134 |
R |
J4 |
34 |
UNKNOWN 039 |
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25-Dec-1944 |
PRONSFELD |
HUFF |
158 |
3 |
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44-40118 |
S |
J4 |
20 |
WE'LL GET BY |
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27-Dec-1944 |
NEUNKIRCHEN |
HUFF |
159 |
4 |
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44-40118 |
S |
J4 |
21 |
WE'LL GET BY |
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Mission list compiled from 458th group records
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B-24 going down |
Photo courtesy: Bill Case
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Tracy Crew Enlisted receive DFC's |
William Case, Mel Keim, Al Cramlett, Art Albert
Photo courtesy: Bill Case |
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