Miss Take
| Miss Take | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | Martin B-26 Marauder |
| Manufacturer | Glenn L. Martin Company, Omaha, Nebraska |
| Serial | 42-95821 |
| Owners and operators | United States Army Air Forces |
| Fate | Shot down over occupied France July 8, 1944 |
Miss Take was a B-26 Marauder bomber of the USAAF 575th Bombardment Squadron, aircraft number 42-95821[1][2] that served in the European theater during World War II. Miss Take was shot down over occupied France on July 8, 1944. Her crew parachuted from the plane and several of them landed near the town of Coësmes. They were taken in by a local French family by the surname Olive and hidden in the family's barn.[3][4]
The crew traveled through occupied France for several weeks assisted by the French Resistance, eventually reaching American troops in early August. They were transported to England before finally returning to the United States.
Mission
On July 8, 1944, Miss Take was leading the first box in a mission targeting a railroad bridge near Nantes, France. As the formation approached the target, Miss Take was hit by enemy ground fire and began losing altitude. The crew successfully completed the bomb release, but shortly thereafter realized that the aircraft was too badly damaged to complete the return flight. They parachuted from the aircraft and landed in the vicinity of Coësmes. The aircraft crashed about 5 miles northwest of Châteaubriant, and German troops were actively hunting for the crew.
Crew
Crew members on July 8, 1944 included:
| Pilot | Capt. George Stalnaker |
| Co-pilot | 2nd Lt. Eugene R. Squier |
| Navigator | Capt. Edgar G. Williams |
| Bombardier | 1st Lt. Francis J. Murphy |
| Navigator | 1st Lt. Jim B. Clark |
| Mechanic and machine gunner | Sgt. Stanley Miller |
| Radio operator and machine gunner | Sgt. Richard B. Smith |
| Tail gunner | Lloyd V. Alexander |
Capt. George Stalnaker was an experienced pilot of B-26s, having served as a test pilot for B-26 operations in the US and flown 35 combat missions over Europe. While in France, he met Simone de Cruzel, who had been a French spy for the Allies. George and Simone were married after the war and lived in Europe and in the United States.[5]
Sgt. Richard Smith was not a member of the regular crew of Miss Take. He volunteered as a replacement for the injured Tom Lawson, who was wounded on a previous mission. Smith volunteered for the mission on July 8 because it would be the last mission he would need to complete before heading home.
Lloyd Alexander was also not a member of the regular crew of Miss Take,[6]. He was the only member of the crew to be captured by the Germans and was held as a prisoner of war until the end of hostilities in May, 1945. [7][8]
Rescue
Several members of the crew were rescued and hidden by local French citizens sympathetic to the Allies' cause, eventually uniting and being sheltered in the barn of a French family surnamed Olive. The family provided them with food, water, cigarettes, and a radio so that the Americans could listen to BBC radio broadcasts.
Members of the local French resistance orchestrated transport of the airmen toward American forces who were advancing through France from Normandy. The airmen reached Allied-controlled territory by early August and eventually returned to England and then to the United States.
References
- ↑ "42-95821 | American Air Museum".
- ↑ "391st Bomb Group - 575th Bomb Squadron Crew Lists - Role: All - Complete & Partial Crews".
- ↑ "Son of a pilot shares how a West Point ring saved his father from the Nazis during WWII". 17 December 2020.
- ↑ https://docslib.org/doc/1048571/le-b-26-marauder-miss-take-ne-r%C3%A9pond-plus
- ↑ Sandler, Len (December 19, 2016). "Because of You, We Live!" The Untold Story of George & Simone Stalnaker. Pocol Press. ISBN 978-1929763719. Search this book on
- ↑ Sandler, Len (December 19, 2016). "Because of You, We Live!" The Untold Story of George & Simone Stalnaker. Pocol Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-1929763719. Search this book on
- ↑ "Lloyd Alexander - Recipient -".
- ↑ https://www.absa3945.com/8%20juillet%201944/42-95821/Lloyd%20V.%20Alexander.htm
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