Philip H. McDavid Crew

PHILIP H. McDAVID CREW - 359th BS
(crew assigned 359BS: 15 July 1944 - photo: 12 Aug 1944)

(Back L-R) 1Lt Philip H. McDavid (P)(WIA), 2Lt Richard Beeman (CP),
2Lt Donald E. Pickett (B)(WIA), 2Lt Robert L. King (N)

(Front L-R) S/Sgt Warren N. Linville (WG), T/Sgt Thomas M. Hall (E),
T/Sgt Wilfred J. Sikkema (R), S/Sgt Ralph R. Johnson (BT),
S/Sgt Joseph Erdody (TG)

(Ranks and grades at time of last combat mission.)

Original Crewman Sgt John L. Bugler (WG) - Not in crew photo. Was removed from crew when crew size was changed from 10 to 9 men. Flew no 303rd BG(H) Combat missions.

Thirty-five dispatched and credited combat missions flown by 1Lt Philip H. McDavid:
211 (24 July 1944), 213, 218 (4 Aug 1944), 220, 221, 222, 225, 226, 227, 228, 230, 235 (3 Sept 1944), 236, 237, 240, 243, 244, 246, 249 (2 Oct 1944), 250, 251, 252, 253, 258, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265 (1 Nov 1944), 266, 269, 270, 271, 272, 274 (20 Nov 1944).
For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions

Seventeen B-17Gs flown by 1Lt Philip H. McDavid on this thirty-five credited combat missions

42-97058 (P) Scorchy II (359BS) BN-V - Mission 211
42-31483 (P) Bonnie B (359BS) BN-P - Missions 213, 218
42-31117 Lonesome Polecat (359BS) BN-L - Mission 220
42-38050 (P) Thunderbird (359BS) BN-U - Missions 221, 271
42-31183 (P) Bad Penny (359BS) BN-J - Mission 222
42-107206 Old Black Magic (359BS) BN-R - Missions 225, 226, 270, 272
42-102496 (P) Special Delivery aka Big A Bird (359BS) BN-M - Mission 227
42-97944 (P) Daddy's Delight (359BS) BN-I - Missions 228, 261, 262, 263, 265, 269
43-38258 (P) Forget Me Not Olly (358BS) VK-H -Missions 230, 249, 250, 258
44-6076 (P) Liberty Run (359BS) BN-Y - Mission 235
43-38289 (P) Sweet La Rhonda (359BS) BN-J - Missions 236, 237, 240, 246
42-97893 (P) Minnie the Moocher (360BS) PU-M - Mission 243
43-38200 (No name) (358BS) VK-E - Mission 184
42-31055 (P) Aloha (360BS) PU-J - Mission 251
44-6502 (No name) (359BS) BN-G - Missions 252, 253
43-38878 (No name) (359BS) BN-D - Mission 264
42-102544 (P) Sack Time (360BS) PU-K - Mission 274
(P) See Nose Art Photos

Crew Notes:

1Lt Philip H. McDavid (P) - First mission (211) flown as CoPilot with 1Lt John W. Reed as Combat Orientation Pilot. All other missions flown as First Pilot. Completed 35 mission combat tour on 20 Nov 1944 (Mission 274).
2Lt Richard Beeman (CP) - Missions flown: Thirty-two with 1Lt McDavid (All McDavid crew missions except three (211, 272, 274); With other Pilots - Three missions (211, 214, 255). Completed 35 mission combat tour on 10 Nov 1944 (Mission 271).
2Lt Robert L. King (N) - Missions flown: Thirty-two with 1Lt McDavid (All McDavid crew missions except three (222, 252, 253); With other Pilots - Three missions (275, 276, 277). Completed 35 mission combat tour on 26 Nov 1944 (Mission 277).
2Lt Donald E. Pickett (B) - Missions Flown - Eleven with 1Lt McDavid (211, 213, 218, 220, 221, 222, 225, 226, 227, 228, 230). Wounded on 18 Aug 1944 (mission 230) and removed from combat status. Substitute Bombardiers or Toggliers used on the other 1Lt McDavid combat missions.
T/Sgt Thomas M. Hall (E), T/Sgt Wilfred J. Sikkema (R), S/Sgt Ralph R. Johnson (BTG), S/Sgt Warren N. Linville (WG) - Missions flown: All of the 35 1Lt McDavid missions. No missions with other Pilots. Completed 35 mission combat tour on 10 Nov 1944 (Mission 274).
S/Sgt Joseph Erdody (TG/WG) - Thirteen with 1Lt McDavid Crew 211, 213, 218, 220, 221, 222, 225, 226, 227, 228, 230, 235, 236); Twenty-two with other Pilots: Seven As Tail Gunner - With 2Lt Cecil J. Gates (P) - (277, 278, 279, 280, 284, 298); One with 1Lt Sidney L. Underdown (P) - (291A; Fifteen As Waist Gunner: With 2Lt Kenneth E. Bixby (P) - (285 (Non-credited Aborted), 286, 289, 290, 292, 293, 295, 296, 301, 302, 304, 309, 310); With 1Lt Darwin D. Knudson (P) - (283, 315); With 2Lt Alfred M. Holmes (P) - (297). Completed 35 mission combat tour on 15 Feb 1945 (Mission 315).

Substitute Crewmen (Flew on more than one mission with the 1Lt McDavid Crew)

Toggliers - Subs for 2Lt Donald E. Pickett (B)
- Sgt A.B. McKinley - 4 missions (251, 252, 253, 258)
- S/Sgt John L. Arendt - 4 missions (249, 261, 262, 263, 264)
- S/Sgt Robert J. Dittman - 4 missions (265, 270, 271, 272)
- S/Sgt Raymond D. Tartaglia - 2 missions (246, 250)
Tail Gunners - Subs for S/Sgt Joseph Erdody (TG)
- Sgt Anthony B. Martin - 23 missions (251, 252, 253, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 269, 270, 271, 272, 274)
- Sgt Warren D. Linville - 3 missions (243, 246, 250)

Mission Notes:

07 Aug 1944 (Mission 222) in B-17G 42-31183 Bad Penny (359BS) BN-J to Chartes, France Credited abortive sortie - Bomb rack failure - Couldn't drop bombs.
18 Aug 1044 (Mission 230) in B-17G 43-38258 Forget Me Not Olly (358BS) VK-H to Liege, Belgium. Hit by flak after "bombs away." The wings, tail, fuselage and other B-17 sections were hit. The #4 engine was severely damaged. The prop couldn't be feathered because the oil line had been cut. Two of the oxygen systems were severed. The Ball Turret was out and had to be cranked up by hand. Forget Me Not Olly could not keep up with the formation and was lagging far behind and other Groups were passing by overhead. The enemy coast was reached all alone and the English Channel was crossed unaccompanied and as a precaution radio fixes were sent out. Bombs were jettisoned in the channel. An emergency landing was made at the 356th FG P-47 airfield at Martlesham-Heath, Suffolk, England. The B-17 was regained at Molesworth on 14 Sept 1944. Lt Philip H. McDavid (P) suffered a non-critical leg flesh wound. Lt Donald E. Pickett (B) received a serious wound in the back of his thigh. Both were hospitalized after landing. The lack of large size bandages in the first aid kits hampered treatment of the two wounded crewmen. Lt McDavid resumed combat missions on 03 Sep 1944. Lt Pickett was removed from combat status and flew no more combat missions. (Comments by Lt McDavid)
30 Oct 1944 (Mission 264) in B-17G 43-38878 (No name) (359BS) BN-D to Hamm, Germany. Credited abortive Sortie - Did not drop leaflet load due to mechanical bomb bay difficulties.

[photo courtesy of Philip H. McDavid]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]