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39th Bomb Group (VH)

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"City of Wilmington"
"Hell's Belle"
B-29 # 42-65365
"City of Santa Barbara"
B-29 # 44-61532


crew41.jpg
Photo courtesy of Hugh G. Roberts

L to R Standing:
1st Lt Homer D. Martin, Nav; 1st Lt Calvin W. Hill (P-54)*, Temp Pilot; Major Harold G. McNeese, AC; 1st Lt Carl L. Davenport, Radar; 1st Lt Robert J. Breitbarth, Bombardier
L to R Kneeling:
S/Sgt Albert L. Fierro, LG; T/Sgt Hugh G. Roberts, CFC Gunner; Sgt Frederick W. Levesque, RO; S/Sgt Vincent F. Dunleavy, TG; Sgt William B. Haas, RG; T/Sgt Thomas L. Johnson, FE

Photo courtesy of Albert Fierro, LG

L to R Standing:
1st Lt Robert J. Breitbarth, Bombardier; 1st Lt Edward L. Olson, Pilot; Major Harold G. McNeese, AC; 1st Lt Carl L. Davenport, Radar; Capt Francis E. Smith (P-55)**Temp Nav.
L to R Kneeling:
S/Sgt Vincent F. Dunleavy, TG; Sgt William B. Haas, RG; Sgt Frederick W. Levesque, RO; Sgt Albert L. Fierro, LG; T/Sgt Thomas L. Johnson, FE; T/Sgt Hugh G. Roberts, CFC

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 Crew 41
Honor Roll
 
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1st Lt. Carl L. Davenport
Radar Observer
29 July 1987
Major Harold G. Mc Neese
Airplane Commander
"City of Willington"
62nd BS CO - Oct 1945
21 February 1995
S/Sgt Vincent F. Dunleavy
Tail Gunner
10 April 1997
1st Lt Edward L. Olson
Pilot
15 July 2002
S/Sgt Albert L. Fierro, Sr.
Left Gunner
03 December 2005
1st Lt Ralph A. Weston
Repl Airplane Commander
"City of Santa Barbara"
25 January 2006
T/Sgt Hugh G. Roberts
CFC Guunner
7 December 2011

Updates:

15 April 2012: Add T/Sgt Roberts to the Crew Honor Roll and the Final Flight Honor Roll section.

13 August 2008:
Updated Major McNeese dedication page based on letter from Harold NcNeese to Edwin Wiley, that included a "bio sketch" dated March 28, 1994 that was forwarded to James Wyckoff (then Assoc President).

4 August 2006: The names of 2 men flying as Temp Pilot and Temp Nav identified. Thanks to Roberta Keele, daughter of 1st Lt Carl L. Davenport, Radar Observer for contacting us with the missing names. Her father's photos - same as shown above identifies the Temp Pilot in the top photo as "Hill" and the Temp Nav. as "Smith" in the bottom photo. A search of the 39th BG database shows only one "Hill" that was a pilot - 1st Lt Calvin W. Hill as Pilot, P-54 and only one "Smith" that was a Navigator - Capt Francis E. Smith, as Nav, P-55; Captain's bars can be seen on the Temp Navigator's cap in the bottom photo - so P-55's Navigator does fit with the facts known.

Calvin Hill was contacted and he confirmed that it is him pictured as "Temp Pilot";  "I flew with the P-41 crew on several missions as their regular pilot was ill. I got know the crew quite well at that time"

28 June 2006: Added the name Ralph A. Weston to the Crew Honor Roll - after finding a record of his death.


Continued
62nd Squadron Crew Index
Source: "History of the 39th Bomb Group"; Hugh G. Roberts, Ralph Weston; Al Fierro; Mile Olson; Roberta Keele