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Date:: 3/1/2026
Time:: 5:47 PM

Marauderman's Name: Flight Sergeant James "Jimmy" Hughes Bomb Group: RAF, then SAAF Bomb Squadron: Squadron 12 Years in Service: (unknown) Graduation Class: (unknown) Class Location: (unknown) Comments: I'm trying to find more information about my grandad, James Hughes. He served as a Flight Sergeant in the RAF before transferring to No. 12 Squadron of the South African Air Force (SAAF). I still remember the squadron badge clearly - he had a plaque of it hanging on the wall at home. Most of his squadron, including him, was shot down between 1944 and 1945. He spent the final months of the war as a prisoner in a German concentration camp (or POW camp). He often told me the story of how, one day, the German guards simply disappeared, and the next thing they knew, American soldiers were opening the gates to liberate them. After the war, he used to attend yearly reunions at Potters Bar in the UK. There was also a book published that included personal stories and interviews from most of his crew members, but despite a long search, I've been unable to track it down. If anyone has any details - about his service, the squadron, the reunions, or especially that book - please let me know. It would mean a great deal to reconnect with this part of his history. Best regards, Andrew Clarke
Date:: 2/27/2026
Time:: 9:06 AM

Greetings from El Dorado County, California. I am a volunteer with Stories Behind the Stars, where I am working to memorialize all of our county's WWII Gold Star veterans. These include First Lieutenant Hardie Tatum of the 442nd Bombardment Squadron, 320th Bombardment Group, who was killed in action on April 25, 1943, over the Mediterranean Sea. Hardie's relatives have kindly loaned us two binders containing his wartime letters, photographs, and other personal documents. Among these materials is a copy of a page from a magazine or book titled "Boomerang," which includes a reference to "Hardie" as "Big Boy." I have also noted that your website contains this same reference. In conversations with Hardie's family, there remains some uncertainty about the nickname: Does "Big Boy" refer to Hardie himself (who stood 6'1" tall), or was it the name given to an aircraft associated with him? A local newspaper article reporting his death includes the following paragraph: "While the exact nature of the lieutenant's duties is not known, it is understood that he was a flying officer on a bombing plane and his work is said to have been so successful that by common consent among his fellow officers, one of the bombers had been named in his honor." I would be deeply grateful for any information you can provide that clarifies or confirms the use of the nickname "Big Boy"�particularly whether it applied to Lieutenant Tatum personally or to one of his aircraft. If your records include any photographs of the plane (possibly a B-26 Marauder), of Hardie and/or his crew, or of related materials, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to review them. We are currently finalizing his Stories Behind the Stars memorial page and would like to ensure the details are as accurate and complete as possible. Very sincerely, Joseph Connolly QMCS, USCG (Ret.)
Date:: 2/23/2026
Time:: 3:40 AM

Hello, I wonder if you can shed any light on a story I'm researching: the name of a B-26 pilot (and the specific incident) in which he shot down a German fighter during World War II. The pilot personally told me that a German fighter had begun to engage his aircraft, so he fired a single warning burst from his forward guns to let the enemy know he'd been spotted. The fighter then changed course, flew directly through the path of the burst, and essentially shot himself down. I had the great pleasure of flying this gentleman from North Weald in my own wartime USAAF L-3B liaison aircraft during his one and only visit to his former WWII base at Andrews Field in Essex some years ago. Many thanks for any information or leads you might have. Best regards, Reg R. B. McComish, C.Eng., C.MarEng

Hello Mr. McComish, In response to your query, the pilot involved is almost certainly 1st Lt. Richard S. Bailey of the 450th Bombardment Squadron, 322nd Bombardment Group (he is wearing a 450th BS baseball cap in the photo). He was awarded a claim of one Me 109 damaged during the morning mission on December 23, 1944, which targeted the railroad bridge at Euskirchen. The 322nd BG formation came under sustained enemy aircraft attack on this mission, with the Group receiving credit for four enemy aircraft (e/a) destroyed, two probably destroyed, and seven damaged. The aircraft he was flying was 41-31777, DR-C, named �Zombie III� (photo attached showing the ground crew). This Marauder went on to survive the war, completing 162 missions. 1st Lt. Bailey flew at least 65 missions and was awarded the Air Medal with 12 Oak Leaf Clusters (each medal and cluster typically awarded for every five completed missions). He also received the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, reflecting a highly distinguished career. On the December 23 mission, his aircraft was holed twice by flak (the Group encountered intense and accurate flak in addition to the fighter attacks) and once by fire from an enemy fighter. The damage was categorized as Category A (repairable locally). His aircraft experienced a rack malfunction, so the bombardier salvoed the bomb load of 4 x 1,000-lb GP bombs a little late; they fell in the town of Euskirchen. Flying as the No. 3 ship in the high flight of the 2nd Box, the combat report stated: �e/a was passing in front of our aircraft at 300 yards. Pilot aimed and fired package guns, e/a started smoking and went down in a steep dive.� The copilot, 2nd Lt. H. C. Freeman, confirmed that the e/a was observed to be damaged. In addition, the top turret gunner, SSgt. R. Milton Chapman, was credited with the destruction of one Me 109, which was seen to burst into flames and explode. The tail gunner, SSgt. Calamann, was also credited with a damaged Me 109. As an aside, I see that you mentioned flying Lt. Bailey into North Weald in your L-3B. I worked at The Squadron/North Weald Flying Services for 20 years�initially as Events Manager before becoming General Manager from 1999 to 2016. It's a shame I didn't get to meet you that day, but of course, it might have been one of my rare days off, or if it was an event day, I was probably too busy to notice. I hope this helps answer your question. Regards, Alan F. Crouchman
Date:: 1/24/2026
Time:: 8:04 PM

Good evening, First and foremost, thank you for starting and maintaining b26.com. I�ve referenced and revisited it many times over the years, and it has been an invaluable resource for me and my family. It truly is a remarkable repository and a living tribute to the men who served. My grandfather, 1st Lt. James Amick Sr. (322nd Bomb Group), remained a powerful influence in our lives until his passing in 2010, and your work has helped keep his story - and the stories of so many others - alive. While watching a WWII documentary this evening, I was struck by the thought that the incredible stories preserved on your website deserve an even wider audience. With that in mind, I�ve been considering starting an account on X (formerly Twitter) dedicated to retelling and highlighting these documented stories. My hope is to expand their reach and possibly help connect families with the history of their loved ones and friends. I don�t yet have an established audience, so it would be something built from the ground up. Still, it feels like a meaningful and worthwhile effort. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss this idea with you and hear your thoughts. Warm regards, Matt
Check out Matt's work on x.com (twitter) @MarauderMenB26 --- thanks Matt, great job!
Date:: 1/21/2026
Time:: 11:55 AM

41-35160, B-26C, 1-20-44F, Camden, Arkansas 13.37hrs Struck the ground at an angle of 45 degrees with both engines working on full power, exploding violently on impact 3 miles S of Camden, Arkansas on an administration flight from Hunter Field to Sheppard Fiald, Wichita Falls, TX. All killed

1.Lt George W Davis, 1.Lt Robert E Trimpe, 2.Lt Kermit M Bury, Cpl James E Coles, Cpl Milton L Raugh, M/Sgt James D Alexander, M/Sgt Cecil C Stewart, 2.Lt Robert J Miller

https://www.magnoliareporter.com/news_and_business/regional_news/article_e34b4f72-b87c-4c79-939e-14b7435c173b.html WebArchive
Date:: 1/11/2026
Time:: 7:40 AM

Name: George Sambrano Jr. Bomb Group: possibly the 322nd and 336th Years of Service: 20 Graduation Class: I think 43 Class location: Possibly MacDill field, Florida

Comments: I have been trying to learn more about the history of my grandfather, who served in the B-26. Until tonight, I had only limited information, but I found a photo of Leslie E. Goss with his copilot, Robert E. Ferrell, on leave in Paris. I also have a training photo from my grandfather, along with documents showing crew orders. You can clearly tell that the two pilots are the same men.

I would really love to get in touch with Leslie E. Goss to learn more, because I never had the opportunity to ask my grandfather. Mr. Goss signed the guest book on 10/3/2004, stating that he had details of his time with the 322nd, and it appears that the crew stayed together for quite a while.

Regards, Carlos Sambrano Jr
Date:: 1/1/2011
Time:: 12:11 AM

Happy New Year! Marauder Men, family and friends are invited to add content to the web site. Send scanned pictures 300dpi or mail pictures via post. Tell a story about your Marauderman and include as much information as you can.

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