13's....
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Lucky13
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130013....nice one! 
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Lucky13
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B-25D-5 "Jelly Belly" Serial Number 41-30013 Nose 134
USAAF
5th AF
345th BG
499th BS
Pilot Lt. Alden W. Thompson, Jr., O-727804 (survived) WV
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt George W. Cagle, Jr., O-734189 (survived) TX
Bombardier 2nd Lt. John R. Yarborough, O-732479 (WIA, MIA / KIA, BNR) SC
Navigator SSgt Lawrence B. Davis, 34333036 (WIA, MIA / KIA, BNR) AL
Radio-Gunner TSgt Walter A. Malone (survived) MT
Engineer-Gunner SSgt George A. Mottern (survived)
Ditched July July 13, 1943
MACR none
Aircraft History
Built by North American. Delivered to the U. S. Army. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to Australia.
Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 345th Bombardment Group, 499th Bombardment Squadron. Assigned to pilot Alden Thompson with crew chief TSgt Aaron B. Croop. Nicknamed "Jelly Belly" with the nose art of a pair of dice showing a "4" and "3". The nickname was a reference to a character in Thompson's hometown. Nose number "134". When lost, this bomber was the 345th Bombardment Group's first combat loss.
Mission History
On July 13, 1943 took off from Port Moresby piloted by Thompson leading a medium altitude bombing mission against Salamander. Over the target at 10,000', a burst of anti-aircraft fire exploded directly under the nose of this bomber, damaging the plane and wounded bombardier Yarborough in the face. The controls were damaged and the pilot glided down parallel to the coastline and made a water landing, escorted by their two wingmen.
Ditched into the sea roughly 10 miles off Salus village south of Tambu Bay near Salamander. On landing, this B-25 broke into two pieces at the rear fuselage. Yarborough was unable to escape as the bomber sank and went down with the aircraft. In the crash,
Fates of the Crew
The surviving crew inflated their Mae West life vests and exited the sinking plane. During the crash, Davis suffered two broken legs above the ankles and died six hours later attempting to swim ashore, and his body sank. Joining hands, the crew began to swim towards shore.
Above, the B-25 piloted by Cooper lingered in the area to protect them, and flew towards friendly lines and dropped a message to an Australian Army position about the downed crew and attempted to send a native canoe to the scene, but it got swamped in the heavy seas. When the crew was reported lost when the formation returned back at base, Col. True took off without fighter escort to drop a life raft to them, but was unable to locate them. The crew saw the circling B-25, but had no way to signal it.
After ten hours at sea, the crew managed to swim ashore around dark but found themselves roughly two miles behind Japanese lines. Between the four surviving crew, they had only a single .45 pistol. Together, they avoided the enemy and made their way towards Allied lines, reaching an Australian Army outpost and were rescued. and returned to duty three days later.
Pilot Thompson's replacement aircraft was nicknamed "Jelly Belly 2nd" after the loss of this bomber. On September 9, 1943 three members of this crew: Thompson, Cagle and Malone were killed aboard B-25D "Jelly Belly 2nd" 41-30516.
USAAF
5th AF
345th BG
499th BS
Pilot Lt. Alden W. Thompson, Jr., O-727804 (survived) WV
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt George W. Cagle, Jr., O-734189 (survived) TX
Bombardier 2nd Lt. John R. Yarborough, O-732479 (WIA, MIA / KIA, BNR) SC
Navigator SSgt Lawrence B. Davis, 34333036 (WIA, MIA / KIA, BNR) AL
Radio-Gunner TSgt Walter A. Malone (survived) MT
Engineer-Gunner SSgt George A. Mottern (survived)
Ditched July July 13, 1943
MACR none
Aircraft History
Built by North American. Delivered to the U. S. Army. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to Australia.
Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 345th Bombardment Group, 499th Bombardment Squadron. Assigned to pilot Alden Thompson with crew chief TSgt Aaron B. Croop. Nicknamed "Jelly Belly" with the nose art of a pair of dice showing a "4" and "3". The nickname was a reference to a character in Thompson's hometown. Nose number "134". When lost, this bomber was the 345th Bombardment Group's first combat loss.
Mission History
On July 13, 1943 took off from Port Moresby piloted by Thompson leading a medium altitude bombing mission against Salamander. Over the target at 10,000', a burst of anti-aircraft fire exploded directly under the nose of this bomber, damaging the plane and wounded bombardier Yarborough in the face. The controls were damaged and the pilot glided down parallel to the coastline and made a water landing, escorted by their two wingmen.
Ditched into the sea roughly 10 miles off Salus village south of Tambu Bay near Salamander. On landing, this B-25 broke into two pieces at the rear fuselage. Yarborough was unable to escape as the bomber sank and went down with the aircraft. In the crash,
Fates of the Crew
The surviving crew inflated their Mae West life vests and exited the sinking plane. During the crash, Davis suffered two broken legs above the ankles and died six hours later attempting to swim ashore, and his body sank. Joining hands, the crew began to swim towards shore.
Above, the B-25 piloted by Cooper lingered in the area to protect them, and flew towards friendly lines and dropped a message to an Australian Army position about the downed crew and attempted to send a native canoe to the scene, but it got swamped in the heavy seas. When the crew was reported lost when the formation returned back at base, Col. True took off without fighter escort to drop a life raft to them, but was unable to locate them. The crew saw the circling B-25, but had no way to signal it.
After ten hours at sea, the crew managed to swim ashore around dark but found themselves roughly two miles behind Japanese lines. Between the four surviving crew, they had only a single .45 pistol. Together, they avoided the enemy and made their way towards Allied lines, reaching an Australian Army outpost and were rescued. and returned to duty three days later.
Pilot Thompson's replacement aircraft was nicknamed "Jelly Belly 2nd" after the loss of this bomber. On September 9, 1943 three members of this crew: Thompson, Cagle and Malone were killed aboard B-25D "Jelly Belly 2nd" 41-30516.
Last edited:
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Lucky13
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LOL I bet you will find one outside the US, I have to do some looking but I believe I have pictures some were of Jelly Belly!!!
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Robert Porter
Senior Master Sergeant
Happy to forward it on to you if you cannot find it anywhere else.
Good one.
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Lucky13
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Seem to be impossible to find a photo of Spitfire Mk. IX EN313 from No. 145 Squadron, coded ZX-4 and flown by Waclaw S Krol....
History:
FF 2-1-43 6MU 9-1-43 47MU 15-1-43 Empire Tide 3-2-43 Gibraltar 16-2-43 NWAfrica 31-3-43 Malta 1-7-43 Sicily 1-9-43 Shot down by flak Castelnuovo 17-12-43....
He also flew a Mk. Vb, AD313, SZ-X....
History:
FF 2-1-43 6MU 9-1-43 47MU 15-1-43 Empire Tide 3-2-43 Gibraltar 16-2-43 NWAfrica 31-3-43 Malta 1-7-43 Sicily 1-9-43 Shot down by flak Castelnuovo 17-12-43....
He also flew a Mk. Vb, AD313, SZ-X....
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Lucky13
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On the 28th of August '42, Spitfire Mk. Vb AD313 (AD313), P/O Balon, for unkown reason, crashed into the Bridlington Bay.
fubar57
General
Can't make out the s/n...
fubar57
General
It was a long shot
