Wilburn Crew - Assigned 754th Squadron - November 9, 1944
F/O Chesleigh Wilburn Crew - Casper "Crew of the Week" (L-R)
Kneeling: Jim Allison - B, Chesleigh "Tex" Wilburn - P, Bob Henn - CP, Dick Bateman - N
(Photo: 2ADA Journal - Bob Henn)
Wilburn Crew - Flying at the End of Hostilities
| Name |
Pos |
Status |
Date |
Notes |
| 1Lt Chesleigh D. Wilburn |
P |
FEH |
10 Apr 45 |
Last mission - Rechlin/Larz |
| 2Lt Robert A. Henn |
CP |
FEH |
10 Apr 45 |
Last mission - Rechlin/Larz |
| 1Lt Richard E. Bateman |
N |
FEH |
10 Apr 45 |
Last mission - Rechlin/Larz |
| F/O James Allison |
B |
UNK |
1944 |
Not assigned with crew |
| T/Sgt James B. Winslow |
RO |
FEH |
10 Apr 45 |
Last mission - Rechlin/Larz |
| S/Sgt Oscar E. Gaff |
E/TTG |
FEH |
10 Apr 45 |
Last mission - Rechlin/Larz |
| S/Sgt Bernard A. Lehman |
NTG |
FEH |
10 Apr 45 |
Last mission - Rechlin/Larz |
| S/Sgt Roy J. Fischer |
WG |
FEH |
10 Apr 45 |
Last mission - Rechlin/Larz |
| S/Sgt Joseph M. Strauss |
WG |
FEH |
10 Apr 45 |
Last mission - Rechlin/Larz |
| S/Sgt Van Taylor |
TG |
FEH |
10 Apr 45 |
Last mission - Rechlin/Larz |
F/O Chesleigh D. Tex Wilburn and crew arrived at Horsham on November 9, 1944 and were assigned to the 753rd Squadron. F/O James Allison, the crews bombardier in training was not assigned with the crew. The crews first mission came a little over one month later on December 11, 1944 when they flew a B-24J named Silver Chief to the marshaling yards in Hanau, Germany.
The crew was able to get in 27 missions before the air war in Europe ended. All of these missions were flown to targets in Germany, and included two trips to Magedeburg, and one mission to Berlin on March 18, 1945. There is an unexplained two-week gap early on in the crews combat tour between January 14th to 29th. While the crew had only flown six missions by the 14th, it seems a bit early for them to have gone on a leave of some sort.
They finally did get a rest home leave on April 10, 1945 after flying their 27th (and what would turn out to be their final) combat mission. On April 25, 1945, the Eighth Air Force ceased operations in Europe and the war ended twelve days later.
Thirteen of their 27 missions, were flown in a B-24J named Arise My Love and Come With Me. This Liberator would become a familiar aircraft to many Liberator and World War II enthusiasts after the war due to a staged set of color photographs taken of Captain Howard Slatons crew of the 755th Squadron in the summer of 1944. At least one version of this photo has appeared in numerous publications on the Eighth Air Force since the war. The most recognizable version appears on this website's home page.
The crew was assigned to ferry this aircraft back to the States in June 1945. Lt John Kowalczuk, the bombardier from Lt Ralph Dooleys crew, flew back with them and took several photos of the trip.
Wilburn Crew - Casper Wyoming - Sept 1944
Wilburn Crew as assigned to the 458th (L-R)
Kneeling: Bob Henn, Chesleigh Wilburn, Dick Bateman
(Photo: Bob Henn)
Wilburn Missions
|
DATE |
TARGET |
PILOT |
458th Msn # |
Pilot Msn# |
Serial |
RCL |
Sqdn |
A/C Msn # |
A/C Name |
Notes |
|
11-Dec-44 |
HANAU |
WILBURN |
155 |
1 |
44-40201 |
N |
J4 |
30 |
SILVER CHIEF |
|
|
24-Dec-44 |
SCHONECKEN |
WILBURN |
157 |
2 |
42-110141 |
U |
J4 |
29 |
BREEZY LADY / MARIE / SUPERMAN |
|
|
28-Dec-44 |
ST. WENDEL |
WILBURN |
160 |
3 |
44-40134 |
R |
J4 |
37 |
UNKNOWN 039 |
|
|
03-Jan-45 |
NEUNKIRCHEN |
WILBURN |
165 |
4 |
44-40281 |
Q |
J4 |
|
A DOG'S LIFE |
|
|
08-Jan-45 |
STADTKYLL |
WILBURN |
167 |
5 |
42-50449 |
W |
J4 |
32 |
HEAVENLY HIDEAWAY |
|
|
10-Jan-45 |
SCHONBERG |
WILBURN |
168 |
6 |
42-110141 |
U |
J4 |
31 |
BREEZY LADY / MARIE / SUPERMAN |
|
|
14-Jan-45 |
HALLENDORF |
WILBURN |
170 |
7 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
23 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
SPARE |
|
29-Jan-45 |
MUNSTER |
WILBURN |
175 |
8 |
44-40118 |
S |
J4 |
32 |
WE'LL GET BY |
|
|
03-Feb-45 |
MAGDEBURG |
WILBURN |
177 |
9 |
41-28980 |
V |
J4 |
22 |
UNKNOWN 009 |
|
|
06-Feb-45 |
MAGDEBURG |
WILBURN |
178 |
10 |
42-100408 |
I |
J4 |
34 |
BEASTFACE |
|
|
11-Feb-45 |
DULMEN |
WILBURN |
180 |
11 |
42-100408 |
I |
J4 |
36 |
BEASTFACE |
|
|
21-Feb-45 |
NUREMBERG |
WILBURN |
185 |
12 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
29 |
ARISE MY LOVE |
|
|
22-Feb-45 |
PEINE-HILDESHEIM |
WILBURN |
186 |
13 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
30 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
23-Feb-45 |
GERA-REICHENBACH |
WILBURN |
187 |
14 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
31 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
25-Feb-45 |
SCHWABISCH-HALL |
WILBURN |
189 |
15 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
33 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
28-Feb-45 |
BIELEFELD |
WILBURN |
192 |
16 |
42-110059 |
T |
Z5 |
65 |
PAPPY YOKUM |
|
|
01-Mar-45 |
INGOLSTADT |
WILBURN |
193 |
17 |
42-51514 |
B |
7V |
18 |
BIG CHIEF LIL' BEAVER |
|
|
08-Mar-45 |
DILLENBURG |
WILBURN |
199 |
18 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
37 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
12-Mar-45 |
FRIEDBURG |
WILBURN |
202 |
19 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
39 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
18-Mar-45 |
BERLIN |
WILBURN |
206 |
20 |
42-95108 |
B |
Z5 |
69 |
ENVY OF 'EM ALL II |
|
|
22-Mar-45 |
KITZINGEN |
WILBURN |
210 |
21 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
42 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
24-Mar-45 |
NORDHORN |
WILBURN |
212 |
22 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
44 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
31-Mar-45 |
BRUNSWICK |
WILBURN |
216 |
23 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
47 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
05-Apr-45 |
PLAUEN |
WILBURN |
218 |
24 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
49 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
07-Apr-45 |
KRUMMEL |
WILBURN |
220 |
25 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
50 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
|
08-Apr-45 |
UNTERSCHLAUERSBACH |
WILBURN |
221 |
26 |
44-40287 |
J |
J4 |
66 |
BACHELOR'S BEDLAM |
|
|
10-Apr-45 |
RECHLIN/LARZ |
WILBURN |
223 |
27 |
42-50768 |
Y |
J3 |
52 |
ARISE MY LOVE... |
|
Mission list compiled from 458th records
B-24J-5-FO 42-50768 J4 Y "Arise My Love and Come With Me"
"Arise My Love and Come With Me" in formation
Photo: Jim Hartswick
Lt Wilburn's crew and several ground men prepare to leave Horsham in June 1945
Departure Horsham St Faith 1945 (L-R)
Middle Row: Oscar Gaff - far left, Leroy Fischer - 2nd from right
Front Row: Joe Strauss - far left, Unknown, Unknown, Van Taylor, Bern Lehman, Dick Bateman
(Photo: Jim Leddy)
Wilburn Crew at Gander Airbase in Newfoundland
Bob Henn, "Tex" Wilburn, Dick Bateman
Van Taylor (2nd from left) and "Tex" Wilburn (center)
Bob Henn
Photos: Michael Kowalczuk
At Gander, Newfoundland (L-R)
Middle Row: Leroy Fischer - far right
Front Row: Bern Lehman, Unknown, Jim Winslow, Joe Strauss
(Photo: Tony North)