850th/857th BS

Melinat Crew

The Melinat crew is shown above as a 10-man crew at Mountain Home with their flyover plane "Pappy's Pill", B24-H 42-94792, nose art shown at right below. 

Standing, L-R:
Ervin Jasczak     -    Radio Operator
William Simonson  -    Bombardier
Henry Majefski    -    Navigator
Norman Harris     -    Copilot
Rudolph Melinat   -    Pilot
Joseph Dul        -    Engineer

Kneeling, L-R:
John Marshal      -    Dispatcher
Ray Thorington    -    BT
John Mitchel      -    NG
John Munsell      -    Gunner

Released at Cheddington were John Mitchel and Ray Thorington.

Mountain Home picture courtesy of Ewen Sinclair. Harrington picture courtesy of Rudolph Melinat. Nose art picture courtesy of the Red Monaghan Photographic Combat Art Collection.

 

 

 

Melinat's 8-man crew at Harrington is pictured below.

Despite a late start which kept them at Harrington past most of the squadrons stay, the crew did well in the field, missing only one completion in August 1944, (all targets in France) shown below. A preference for a particular plane is evident.  One of the first B24H models converted for Carpetbagger use, it was transferred to the MTO with the 859th BS at the end of 1944.

Pilot	MR#	OK	Fail	Joes	Cntnrs	Pkgs	Nkls	Date	DZ	Aircraft
Melinat	1368	1		0	12	8	10	1	Percy 45	B24H 42-95259 K
Melinat	1394	1		0	12	10	4	3	Hugh 2A	B24H 42-95259 K
Melinat	1438	1		4	12	0	7	5	Frederick 18	B24H 42-95036 A
Melinat	1501	1		0	12	0	10	9	Mitchell 8	B24H 42-95259 K
Melinat	1541	1		0	12	8	10	10	John 127	B24H 42-95259 K
Melinat	1571	1		0	12	0	6	12	Gondolier 19	B24H 42-95259 K
Melinat	1620	1		3	12	10	9	14	Donald 22	B24H 42-95259 K
Melinat	1640	1		0	12	4	3	15	Ivor 1	B24H 42-95259 K
Melinat	1678	1		5	12	0	7	17	Peter 89	B24H 42-95259 K
Melinat	1706	1		5	12	0	9	18	Peter 89	B24H 42-95259 K
Melinat	1780		1	0	0	0	0	28	Citronelle 2C	B24H 42-95259 K

Missions 1394,1438,1640 were support missions to Jedburgh teams. Mission 1780 was in support of the Inter-allied team "CITRONELLE".  Remainder to support various Maquis groups in France.

Aircraft Details Credit: Tom Brittan 

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