The crew of Bangin’ Lulu circa 1944 in England. Standing (left to right): Robert Weideman (Pilot, Ohio), Jerome Joondeph (Co-Pilot, New York), Hector Petri (Navigator, Massachusetts), Robert Taylor (Bombardier, unknown state of record) Kneeling (left to right): Charles Mullen (Mechanic, Oregon), Cecil Walk (Radio Operator, Pennsylvania), Leonard Olson (Nose Gunner, South Dakota), Robert Morris (Armorer, Mississippi), Berrien Becks (Tail Gunner, Florida), Donald Arrigoni (Waist Gunner, Pennsylvania) (Joseph Walk)
Several summers ago, I was relaxing on our back porch in central Pennsylvania when I heard a very familiar rumble created by four massive radial engines; a sound I knew from old movies. I gazed skyward to see a B-17 slowly roar across the clear sky as the Commemorative Air Force few it back home from an air show. I was simultaneously astounded and thrilled. The engine noise was unmistakable!
The most well-known US heavy bombers in World War II were the B-17, B-24 and B-29. The Boeing B-29 “Superfortress” entered the conflict late in the war and has a unique place in military aviation history. The Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” is the most venerated heavy bomber from WWII, and for good reason: It could take a pounding and still return to base. It was one tough airplane. But the B-24 “Liberator” remains the most-produced heavy bomber in history.
This is an account about a special B-24. Its serial number was 42-51091 and the crew named her “Bangin’ Lulu.”
Bangin’ Lulu was manufactured with a natural metal finish and was technically a B-24H. The improved H models had an electrically powered nose turret directly above the bombardier that replaced the old “greenhouse” nose. The new turret was designed to fend off frontal attacks better.
The B-24 Liberator was built by Consolidated Aircraft. It flew faster and carried a greater payload a further distance than the B-17. In addition, the unique Davis wing gave the B-24 the ability to cruise at a higher speed and with a longer range compared to other bombers of the day. However, the B-24 had performance problems at slower speeds and was not easy to fly.
B-24 Liberator (U.S. Air Force)
B-24 Liberator (U.S. Air Force (af.mil))
Crews complained that the airplane was difficult to maneuver, especially in formation. But the General Staff loved the B-24 and procured about 19,000 of them. There were, amazingly, 21 B-24 Bomber Groups with over 2,000 planes in Europe’s Mighty 8th Air Force alone.
Bangin’ Lulu was assigned to the 704th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) at Flixton Field near the village of Bungay in Suffolk, about 90 miles northeast of London. The 704th was part of the 446th Bombardment Group known as the “Bungay Buckaroos.” A giant “H” fin flash painted on vertical stabilizers allowed crews to quickly identify 446th aircraft. The 446th was under the command of the 20th Combat Wing, 2nd Air Division, 8th Air Force.
Combat missions for the Group included sorties over Normandy, the Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace and central Europe. The 446th had an amazing record from 1943 to 1945 with over 7,000 sorties flown while only losing 58 aircraft.
The crew of Bangin’ Lulu flew 59 of those combat missions.
B-24H “Bangin’ Lulu” aircraft- Black and White Photo (Tony North | B-24 Best Web)
The men who flew bombers in WWII were, for the most part, young, patriotic and wanted to “do their part for America.” We should remember their bravery and sacrifices; the 8th Air Force suffered over 47,000 casualties with more than 26,000 deaths. Seventeen 8th Air Force airmen won the Congressional Medal of Honor. Statistically, in WWII, serving in the infantry was safer than flying in the 8th Air Force.
Bangin’ Lulu survived the war and returned to the USA, first to Sioux Falls Army Airfield, then Carswell AFB and finally to Ellington AFB. Like most B-24 Liberators, 42-51091 was scrapped after the war.
13 Liberators currently survive. Only one B-24 is a flyable aircraft and another is being restored to flyable status. The lone flyable Liberator belongs to the Commemorative Air Force. The other are on display at various museums including two in England. One is in hangar five of the RAF Museum London and a second at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. There is one B-24D at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio. I still have a picture of it that I took back in 1970.
I have a special attachment to Liberator 42-51091. My father signed up with an Army Air Forces recruiter at his local church, went to radio and gunnery school in Yuma, and was Bangin’ Lulu’s radio operator. He flew 24 missions, earned an Air Medal, was mustered out as a TSgt at war’s end, and rarely talked about his wartime service.
He was only 20 years old.
Photos of the crew of Bangin’ Lulu and the author’s father Cecil Walk circa 1944 in England. (Joseph Walk)
Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community, not an employee of Stars and Stripes. Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense.
The writer would like to offer special thanks to those whose collective information was priceless in researching the history of 42-51091: The Office of Air Force History and their publication, Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War Two, http://www.scharch.org/Dick_Baer/_RFB%203rd%20Division%20BGs/8th%20Air%20Force%20Bomb%20Groups.html, www.aviationmuseum.net, www.americanairmuseum.com
