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The Nancy Anne

Last photo of my aircraft "The Nancy Anne" a B-24H Liberator. Bomber a/c# 41-29311.

Departed Hamilton field—North of San Francisco on January 4,1944. Arrived at Stornara  in Italy on February 8, 1944, with stops in Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Belem, Brazil, Dakar, Marrakech, Telergma, Oudna and Tunis.

A short bio of me; John S. Mapa, 1st Lt., Army Air Corps. A former ‘short handle hoe’ specialist approximately 3 years removed from the lettuce and beet fields of the Central California green belt. Yes, from a migrant labor family that migrated from Hawaii in the twenties to perform labor that appeared beneath the dignity of many.

The ‘day of infamy’ was the impetus that initiated Hollywood to produce so many aerial combat films whose leading men were heroes whether they lived or died. I must admit, I succumbed to the glamour and eventually found myself as an army air corps cadet, receiving my ‘silver wings’ and commissioned a 2nd Lt. on January 4, 1943. First combat mission was to Grottaferrata, Italy on February 17, 1944. Target was Field Marshal Kesselring’s head quarters. I can be contacted at majmapa@yahoo.com.

The Stanley Burda Crew; pilot Stanley is standing 2nd from the left.

Crew of "Alice", A/C 42-94777 that was shot down on 20 Sept 1944. At least some of the crew bailed out over the Adriatic. The pilot was Dale V. Maupin and other members Stanley Andrews, Elmer J. Thompson, Raymond F. Hague, Joseph Campagnula, Stanley J. Grabec, Gerald Katzman and Frank J. Przbylski. Maupin and Przbylski were MIA; the others KIA.

Stanley Andrews, of the Maupin crew from above, is on the right, in the last photograph taken before he was killed in action.

Wilson D. Smith, navigator with the 744th squadron. On the 74th mission of the 456th, Wilson and his plane Madam Zig Zag, Ser # 42-52233, were one of 34 planes that left Stornara 26 June 1944. They headed towards Moosebierbaum, Austria to bomb oil refineries. Madame Zig Zag was one of two planes that did not return. Wilson and his crew were able to bail out safely, but were POWs for 10 months.

The following added later, from Wilson's cousin Gary Bullinger:

I recently received a document from Wilson's brother Bob Smith titled, "Statement or report of interview of recovered personnel" which had the following information:

Commanding officer: Col Thomas Steed

Name of Prisoner of War camp or camps, and length of time served in each:
1. Stalag Luft 3, 7 months. 
2. Stalag Luft 13B, 2 months.
3. Mooseburg, 3 weeks. (I believe this was Stalag 7A, per map)

Names of Senior US Army Officers in each such prisoner of war camp: (respectively)
1. Col Alkire
2. Col Alkire
3. Col Good

Thanks to Joseph F. Chalker I was able to get a Madam Zig Zag crew list. It's as  follows:

2nd Lt Dudley B. Field, Pilot
S/Sgt Henry A. Barrett, Upper Turret
1st Lt Paul E. Gusse, Bombardier
S/Sgt Archie G. Hatch, Nose Turret
2nd Lt Wilson D. Smith, Navigator
T/Sgt Matthew G. Beland, Engineer
T/Sgt William J. Harvey, Turret Gunner

It might be interesting to add that Wilson's plane was shot down by ME-109s after losing its superchargers. (I'm assuming the subsequent failure of the superchargers caused the B-24 to lose altitude & thus became more susceptible to enemy fire).

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