458th Bombardment Group (H) - Honoring those who served with the 458th BG during World War II.

	458th Bombardment Group (H)
	Honoring those who served with the 458th BG during World War II.

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- O'Hara Crew (IJ3) - Assigned July 20, 1944

- 2Lt John B. O'Hara Crew (L-R)

Standing: Lewis Bambick - N, Delbert McCrary - CP, John O'Hara - P, Paul Bloomberg - B
Kneeling: Frank Felthouse - G, Norman McLaughlin - G, Robert Finn - E, Bernard Gittelman - RO, Wesley Bowman - G, Hubert Bourquin - G
(Photo: Fred O. Svartdal)

- O'Hara Crew - Crashed in Norway September 9, 1944 on Carpetbagger mission (MACR #8420)

Name	Pos	Status	Date	Target
2Lt John B. O'Hara	P	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5
2Lt Delbert E. McCrary	CP	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5
2Lt Lewis T. Bambick	N	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5
2Lt Paul Bloomberg	B	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5
Sgt Bernard F. Gittelman	RO	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5
Sgt Robert T. Finn	E	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5
Sgt Norman J. McLaughlin	G	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5
Sgt Wesley C. Bowman	G	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5
Sgt Frank G. Felthouse	G	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5
Sgt Hubert D. Bourquin	G	KIA	9 Sept 1944	Crupper 5

The O'Hara crew is unique among the 458th Bomb Group crews in that they were only with the group for one day. They are also the only crew known to partake in the Carpetbagger missions. They were assigned to the 755th Squadron on July 20, 1944 and on July 21st orders were cut sending them on detached service (DS) for 90 days to Leuchars, Scotland. There they were to partake in Operation Ball, the resupply of resistance fighters in Norway. On September 9, 1944 the crew took off from Scotland to their drop point, designated "Crupper-5", to drop arms and ammunition to the Gullknappen Norwegian resistance group. They were flying B-24H-10-FO WAR BRIDE originally from the 453rd Bombardment Group. Also along on this mission as a gunner was a veteran from the August 1, 1943 Ploesti raid, S/Sgt John P. Morris of the 389th Bomb Group. Due to fog, rain, and icing conditions the crew crashed into Skorve Mountain killing all eleven men on board. A memorial has been built in the nearby town of Seljord, Norway. Wreckage can still be found scattered on the mountaintop.

The above information was gathered from Tom Brittain and Fred O. Svartdal.

For more information on this crew and incident please visit this outstanding website: The B-24 Which Crashed on Skorve Mountain.

- S/Sgt John P. Morris - 389th BG

Also along as a gunner with O'Hara's crew that night was John Morris.
From MACR #8420 is a statement made by Earl Zimmerman, Morris' crewmate in the 389th: "S/Sgt Morris was killed somewhere in Norway. He was on a "Carpetbagging" mission at the time. A report from the underground said the plane hit a mountain and all members were killed."