Death In The Desert: The Lady Be Good- Continued....

By 

Scott Schwartz

Eighteen days later (they were delayed in Trinidad, because Rose clipped some trees with a wing-tip while parking the aircraft), 1-24301 arrived at Soluch Air Field in Libya. 

Because the new Liberator bombers were so desperately needed by the Ninth Bomber Command, the arriving aircraft were usually taken from the crews who flew them in and re-assigned to experienced combat crews.  Consequently, Sam Rose never saw 1-2401 again.

Of course, “experience” can be a relative term.

After being inspected and serviced, 1-24301 was assigned to a crew who consisted of the following men:

1^st Lt. William J. Hatton-pilot.

2^nd. Lt. Robert F. Toner, co-pilot.

2^nd Lt. Dp Hays, navigator.

2^nd Lt. John S. Woravka, bombardier.

Technical Sgt. Harold S. Ripslinger, flight engineer/gunner.

Staff Sgt. Samuel E. Adams, tail gunner.

Staff Sgt. Guy E. Shelley Jr., waist gunner/assistant engineer.

Staff Sgt. Vernon L. Moore, waist gunner/asst. radio operator.

To be continued...