My Dad, Norwood Adler, reported for training 1 Nov 44 in Loredo, Texas 2126th AAF BU to Aerial Gunnery school.
He graduated to 612 Armorer Gunner, then was transferred to Seething Air Force Base in England where he flew 25 missions in the 448th Bombing Group under General Jimmy Doolittle as a tail gunner on a B24 Liberator.
He received the following decorations and citations : American Theater Ribbon, EAME Ribbon with 4 Bronze Battle Stars, Good Conduct Medal, Air Medal 3 Bronze Clusters CO 149 HQ 2nd AD 45 , World War II Victory Medal, and one Overseas Service Bar.
Battles and campaigns: Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe.
He was de-commissioned and mustered out after serving in 25 Aerial Combat Missions on 11 June 45, and was sent back to the states to serve out the rest of his duty.
On their 13th mission in a B24 Liberator, returning to base after a bombing mission, somehow the life raft become deployed and wrapped around the tail of the plane. Everyone had to bail out but the pilot and co-pilot. They didn’t get clear and perished in the wreck.
50 years later, Dad got a letter from the historical society that they found that plane in a swamp off the coast of England. They recovered one of the engines with a propeller still attached. They searched the serial numbers and they came back as Dad’s particular plane.
Mom and Dad were invited to England and attended a dedication ceremony of that propeller at the Air Force base in England.
