The 489th Bombardment Squadron in Corsica

1. 489th BS Insignia from B-25 at MAAM, 2. 340th BG Insignia from Q. Kaiser's A2 flight jacket (1944), 3. NASA space shuttle photo of Corsica, 4. 12th Air Force patch, 5. U.S. Army Air Corps Patch .


Photographs by Quentin Kaiser of 489th Bomb Squadron B-25J Mitchell medium bombers,
1944-1945.

Planes, Part 2

Four bombs on their way.
This was an old faded Kodacolor photograph my father took on a mission. I messed with the color levels in an attempt to restore its original tones. He didn't record the date for this photo but my father did record "First Flak- Kodacolors" in his mission log for his 6th mission to bomb a road bridge at Perugia, Italy on June 13, 1944 so it's possibly that mission. If this is true, the plane dropping the bombs is B-25J 9L "Prop-Wash" and my dad took this picture from B-25J 9J "That's All Brother." Major Kaufmann was flying copilot in the lead plane that day- B-25J 9T "Mission Completed" (tail visable on the right).


B-25Js 9T and 9L.
While we don't know for sure if it was taken on the same mission as above, this photograph taken by my father, also a Kodacolor recolorized by myself after 58 years of fading, suggests that it really is the same mission since the tail letters 9T and 9L are clearly visable. Walker Harris was on this same mission as the radio-gunner in B-25J 9R "Snot Nose" and he even has a copy of the flight schedule showing the relative positions of the planes in their formations. My dad's mission log shows more details of the mission. I am convinced that my dad took both of the above pictures on June 13, 1944 on his 6th combat mission to Perugia, Italy. Note that the mission flight time for my dad's plane (9J) in Walker Harris' flight schedule and my father's mission log is identical (2:40).


B-25 9C.
I think my dad, Quentin Kaiser took this picture of B-25 9C on a mission.


B-25J 8P damaged in mid-air collision with B-25J-8U.
This 488th Bomb Squadron B-25J 8P actually made it back to Alesani after a mid-air collision with B-25J 8U. The tail gunner of this plane (8P) and the entire crew of the other plane (8U) were killed. Of course everyone on the base wanted to see this plane after they heard what happened so there are many pictures of it.


B-25 8P with tail damage from mid-air collision with B-25 8U.
Here's another view of the damaged B-25 8P after miraculously returning to Alesani.


B-25 8P with tail damge from mid-air collision with B-25 8U.
Dominique Taddei supplied the following information about the collision: "...this photo has been taken the 21st of January 1945 at Alesani. This B-25J was the "8P" 43-27657 with pilot, 2nd Lt. W.B. Pelton. After the bombing of San Michele, the flak started to fire but nobody was hit. Changing the heading to join Corsica, a strong blast of wind unbalanced the "8U" 43-4064 with pilot, 1st Lt. W.Y. Simpson. The 8U collided with the 8P tail and killed the tail gunner S/Sgt. Aubrey B. Porter. The 8U came down in a spin and crashed with all the crew members (KIA). The 8P landed safely at Alesani with such tail. 8U crew: Pilot, 1st Lt. William Y. Simpson/ Copilot, 2nd Lt. Frederick C. Greenig/ S/Sgt. James C. Rice/ Sgt. Doyles G. Shipley/ Sgt. Robert J. Jackson/ Cpl. Fred B. Hicks. 8P crew: Pilot, 2nd Lt. W.B. Pelton/ Cap., F/O H.K. Shackelford/ S/Sgt. A.J.Bertagna/ S/Sgt. R.C. Garner/ Cpl. H. Lisby and S/Sgt. A.B. Porter (MIA). (The crew lists give only the pilot positions nothing about the gunners) I have only the names. Unfortunately for 1st Lt. Pelton, the 16th of March 1945, his B-25 "8H" ditched at 4 miles after the take-off, the two engines stopped at the same time, the plane blown up in touching the water. Only the body of the radio-gunner was found and buried at the cemetery of Bastia- S/Sgt. Lawrence W. Kahl."


A restored B-25J bearing the 8U tail letters which I suspect is a monument to the lost crew of the original 8U.
I suspect this restored B-25J with tail letters 8U is a memorial to the lost crew of the original 8U.


Go on to Planes of the 489th, Part 3.