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This page is dedicated to Paul B. Davis and the entire B-24 crew 108

Some data:
- 8th Air Force, Nickname, "The Mighty Eight"
- 2nd Division
- 20th Combat Bombardment Wing, Wing Callsign "Pinestreet/Bigbear"
- 448th Bombardment Group (Heavy), Motto: "Destroy"
- 715th Squadron
- Crew Number 108 (Replacement Crew: April 2, 1945)
- B-24 Serial Number: 42-50767
- Name: "Wazzle Dazzle"

The pictures on this webpage were collected and sent by David Foster, Knoxville, Tennessee

 

1) Paul B. Davis

 


2) Replacement Crew 108 8th Army Air Force 448th BG 715th Sq
This is the B-24 crew. James "Munk" Muenker, the bombedier, was the youngest on the crew at 20 years of age. William Whetsell and Paul B. Davis were 27 years of age. Peterson was removed from the crew before the first mission. William Sloan the ball turrent gunner was nicknamed "Shorty", he was under regulation height to be a gunner, but got a waiver. He had to put a back pack on to prop himself up to aim the gun. James said he saw him in photo in Life Magazine in the early fifties as an architect.

 


3) B-24 Crew, Back Side
On the backside of the crew photo above each crew member wrote his name, address, and crew position/rank. Paul's address is not listed since it was his copy.

 

4) Seething, UK Air Field and Barracks1

 

5) Fighters.jpg

 


6) Wazzle Dazzle
The B-24, named Wazzel Dazzel, belonging to the 448th BG based out of Seething, Norfolk, UK. The Wazzel Dazzel is listed as being 42-50767 belonging to 715th Sqn. This information is taken from Wally Forman's book, B-24 Nose Art Directory.

 

7) Wazzel Dazzel

 


8) WWII ETO B-24 Nose Art. Wazzel Dazzel
The bomber nose art is a stork delivering a bomb, because three members of the crew were expecting babies at the same time, one of the being David's cousin.

 

9) Pilot Bill Whetsell

 


10) Co-pilot James Pop Beadling
Co-pilot James W. "Pop" Beadling. Beadling was the oldest crew member, he was 30 years of age. James W. Beadling passed away in 1994 and is in the national cemetery in Denver, Colorado.

 

11) Paul B. Davis (center)

 

12) Paul B. Davis (right)

 

13) Paul B. Davis (top)

 

14) WWII ETO B-24 Crew & Barracks

 

15) WWII ETO B-24 Crew 108

 

16) WWII ETO B-24 Crew in Jeep

 

17) WWII ETO Paul B. Davis & Barracks

 

18) Unknown1

 

19) Unknown2

 

20) WWII B-24 Bomber Formation

 


21) Hit Bomber
An american bomber hit and breaking apart.

 

22) A.S.C. Pilot Log

 

23) Log Book Pg. 1

 

24) Aviation Cadet Examining Board

 

25) Crew 108 Letter of Commendation

 

26) Crew 108 Letter of Commendation

 

The following photos were taken in 1945 when they flew what were called Trolley Missions. These were selected routes that were organized to take the ground crew guys on a flight over Europe so they could see what the Combat crews did during missions and to see the results. Most of them were low level over cities and towns to see the destruction caused. Some landed and allowed the guys to go on 'Field trips' as such to places like Duisburg etc.
After VE day the B-17s did a flyover of Germany and the next day the B-24s did. The ground crews were taken on the flyovers to see what the bombers had done. That was when James "Pop" Beadling took the photos. They flew into Belgium at 500 feet over some very large slag heaps, then turned east to Remagen and the Rhine River, then followed the Rhine to Cologne and circled the cathedral.

 

27) Unidentified Cathedral

 


28) WW II ETO German POWs in Pens
POW holding pen for German prisoners

 

29) WWII bombed rail yard

 


30) WWII ETO Remagen Bridge VE B-24 Flyover
The Remagen bridge after it colapsed

 

31) View to the city districts Nippes, Riehl und Altstadt Nord. In background church St. Agnes and the square Ebertplatz, Riehler Strasse and Reichenspergerplatz with the building of the higher regional court.

 

32) Cologne, area around square Neumarkt (the square at right side)

 

33) The Cologne city districts Mülheim (background) and Riehl (foreground) with the destroyed Rhine river bridge "Mülheimer Brücke"

 

34) WWII Certificate of Appreciation

 

35) Patch36) Patch 37) Patch

 

The crew members

Rank/Name

Crew Position

Serial Number

Birth and Death Date

Last Know Address in 1944

2nd Lt.William O.Whetsell

Pilot

F/O James Beadling

Co-Pilot

2nd Lt. Lawrence C.Taylor

Navigator

2nd Lt. James E. Muenker

Bombardier

Cpl Roy H. Bassler

Tail Gunner

Cpl Paul B. Davis

Engineer Gunner

Cpl William T. Hall Jr.

WG

Cpl Robert S. Peterson

Nose Gunner

Cpl Robert W. Putney

Radio Operator

Cpl William A. Sloan Jr.

Armorer and Ball Gunner

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