James P. McCarty 'Major Mac', Major USAF, Retired, 391st Bomb Group, 572nd Bomb Squadron

James P. McCarty 'Major Mac', Major USAF, Retired
391st Bomb Group, 572nd Bomb Squadron

James P. McCarty, Enlisted Pilot

"McCarty's Party" was my Airplane. I picked it up from the factory in Michigan in November 1943. At the time we were staging out of Godman Field, Ft. Knox, Ky ( My home State-45 miles from home) Proceeded to England via southern route January 44 as a Group. The painting was Commissioned by Mr. Dave Garnham of Bedford England 2000, and is 30"X20" on canvas, and has been on display in England. He sent print to me October 2000. In 1944 as a young lad he lived at Matching Green England where we were located and watched our operations. It is a very interesting story as to how he found me in Lexington Ky in January 2000. Major Mac

Report from 391st History Micro film
Mission to Foret de la Geurche, France
July 16th, 1944

The 391st was one of four groups which were given the assignment to bomb the fuel storage depot in the Foret de la Geurche on the evening of July 16th. Thirty-eight planes were dispatched, and thirty of these dropped 832 General Purpose bombs on the primary target.

Heavy smoke from the groups that had bombed the target in advance obscured the aiming point and five of the six flights dropped their bombs into the smoke. Hugh explosions and resulting columns of smoke indicated that the attack was a complete success.

Violent blasts were reported by Allied fighters in the vicinity as late as two hours after the bombing. One of the group's flights attacked a high-way intersection when the smoke prevented the bombardier from picking an aiming point. One plane failed to bomb for mechanical reasons.

All the planes returned without damage or casualties.

McCarty's Party flown by Lt John W.Blute from Danvers Mass.

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From Lt W.C Brooks’s map it would indicate that the group was on its way home since the French coast is on the starboard side.

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Taken from the Diary of Lt William C. Brooks 572^nd Squadron

Crew members from left to right Lt. James P. McCarty, Pilot; Lt. Edward Karzenski, Co-Pilot; Lt. Elmer B. Taylor, Bombardier/ Navigator; S/Sgt. Angelo Guidice; Flt. Engineer/ Gunner Sgt. Charles Colvin; Radio/Gunner Sgt. Jay L. McDonald, Tail Gunner.

I graduated with Class 42-I, (originally 42-H) from Spence Field as a single engine S/Sgt. Pilot with assignment to Clearwater Florida, supposedly in P-43's. To the surprise of myself and four S/Sgt. Pilot classmates there were no aircraft available for flight.

Each of us having served in the" Pre-Pearl Harbor" Army as Non-Commissioned Officers were in no mood to sit around on our rear ends; so we begin "camping on the door step" of Headquarters to find an organization with flyable aircraft which would accept this strange bunch of S/Sgt. 's with wings on their chests. On the third day of our inquisition we were told permission had been obtained for us to transfer to MacDill Field, Tampa, with assignments to the 344th Bomb Group. The transfer was on or about November 1, 1942 as my Form 5 shows my first flight in the B26B was on November 4, 1942 for a duration of 3 hours and 30 minutes with the 496th Bomb Sqdn, 344th Bomb Group and signed by 2nd Lt. E. Peterman, Operations Officer. As a matter of interest, I just noticed that 2nd Lt. Peterman was promoted to 1st Lt. some time in December as he also signed my Form 5 in December, 1942 as 1St Lt. E. Peterman, Operation Officer.

I also accompanied the 344th Bomb Group to Drane Field, Lakeland, Florida with my new bride of I month, (married Xmas day 1942) for a short time as pilot with a mixed crew. The length of stay or the exact date I departed for return to MacDill isn't remembered but it is believed to be February 1943 where I was assigned to the 572nd Bomb Sqdn, 391st Bomb Group with a combat crew in which three members out ranked me; 2nd Lieutenant Co-Pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Bombardier and a Technical Sergeant Radio Operator/Waist Gunner. I out ranked my Flight Engineer! Turret Gunner and Tail Gunner.

I hasten to add that each individual of my crew approached me and requested that I ask for them by name at the time of crew "make up". As I slept in the GI barracks at the time I had a slight advantage in knowing the character background of the Enlisted Personnel. (I didn't appreciate the being assigned KID and barrack duties however.) Each crew member fully understood the Military courtesy/respect and the proper times for rendering same. We had no problems what so ever.

The original crew, minus Co-Pilot and Radio Operator, and an Airplane named "McCarty's Party", completed 68 missions together.

"McCarty's Party" became the 391st Bomb Group Champion at 159 Official missions, however T/Sgt. William J. Goldstein who was the sole crew chief from factory pick-up to American destruction at war's end says the figure was 166 missions. It survived one" dead stick "landing, two" belly" landings, one single engine landing, 50 flak holes on her 55th mission, 75 flak holes on her 79th mission plus minor damages of 3 cracked windshields and the usual 2-3 flak holes some where in the fuselage.

Further, I once landed with both brake systems shot out and we tore up 1 acre of potato's at the end of the runway and an opposite malfunction once where the brakes were locked in-flight by accidentally, and unknowingly, actuating the emergency air brakes and the wheels never rotated upon touch down, and with returned bombs in the bomb bay.

In closing, "McCarty's Party" airplane never aborted a mission for a maintenance malfunction due to the dedication of T/Sgt Goldstein, his crew, and the design factors of the Martin B-26 Marauder, it's a shame the B-26 never received it's due recognition.

Best to you, Major Mac

James P. McCarty Major USAF Retired