"Pay-Off"
18 inches X 28 inches. Signed and numbered, edition of 150 Giclee`
reproductions, printed on canvas.
Sunday, August 22, 1943 - 386th Bomb Group Mission Number 8:
Target: Airdrome located at Beaumont le Roger, France.
...Lieutenant W.T. Caldwell was flying a ship named "PAY OFF"
134971 RU-Q in number six position of the low flight in the second
box. He was taking 20mm hits in the bomb bay, smoke began to
pour out as the fire spread. His right engine burst into flame, he was
able to hold formation momentarily, then took his plane out of
formation to the left. Tech Sergeant C.H. Burdick, Jr. was wounded
as he manned the top turret of that plane. One parachute appeared
as the ship lost altitude, but was still under control as it entered a
cloud bank. He picked up a bit of altitude and headed toward the
formation, a second parachute was seen to open. The plane rolled
over on its back and then into a vertical dive. The aircraft came
through the second cloud bank in three parts, all burning fiercely as
viewed by the Captain Caney crew flying "BOOMERANG" 131631
RU-G, they were in the number four position of the lead flight in the
second box.
Co-pilot on the Caldwell crew, Lieutenant Andrew Lindsey picks up
the narration just prior to his bailing out of the stricken bomber: "The
gasoline and hydraulic lines had been punctured, the hydraulic fluid
and gasoline made a furnace of our bomb bay almost at once. Under
those circumstances the likely hood of an explosion was present
every second. W.T. with complete disregard for his own life
maintained control of the aircraft until his crew could abandon it. No
more could be expected of any man. When I left the cockpit, W.T.
was still on the controls, smoke was so thick I could see the
instruments only with difficulty." End of co-pilot statement.
Lieutenant Lindsey received burns on his face and hands as he
exited the plane.
In the same low flight, Aerial Engineer Staff Sergeant Billie B. Boyd,
Jr. was manning his single waist gun in ship 131628 RU-L which was
piloted by Flight Officer Durward Casey. A FW-190 dipped under
their B-26 at 6 o’clock low position and out at 4 o’clock level.
Eighteen year old Boyd rattled off one long burst from his 50 caliber
Browning Machine gun at the attacking aircraft. Captain Clarence Mc
Kinney flying as an observer in ship 134947 RU-K flown by
Lieutenant Emmett Curran in number four position of the same low
flight picks up the narration: "Staff Sergeant Boyd was firing at the
FW-190 at a range of 25 yards. His fire raked the enemy plane from
rudder to engine cowl, then the pilot’s head lurched back as the
plane began emitting smoke and flames as it went into a spin. It
crashed on the ground burning furiously! That particular FW-190 had
a light gray bottom, black nose and yellow around the numbers and
insignia." The Staff Sergeant received full credit for destroying that
enemy plane.
The fate of the "Pay-Off" crew is as follows:
Lieutenants W.T. Caldwell, Jr. KIA—A.G. Lindsey, evaded—F.A.
Schultz. KIA—Tech Sergeant C.H. Burdick, evaded—Staff Sergeants
W.A. Callahan, POW—E.C. Sharpe, POW. Callahan managed to make
contact with some members of the French Underground and made it
to the Spanish Border, only to be picked up by the Germans when
they shook down a train. Burdick made contact with the
Underground as well, but no details are known how he evaded.
Sharpe was captured immediately due to the fact he landed directly
into the Field Headquarters of a Panzer Unit. He was injured during
his landing because his chute did not fully deploy. Lindsey was able
to connect with a young boy who was in the French Resistance.
Later he was turned over to a man by the name of Henri and his wife
Honor who lived in Evreux, France. His wife took care of Andrew
Lindsey’s burns on his face and hands and fed him during his
painful recuperation time. Later he moved in with Jacques and
Magdeleine Mourlet, they lived in the town of Quimper (Normandy).
They were active in the Underground movement also. They lived up
stairs and a Gestapo Officer lived down stairs. The house only three
doors from the Gestapo Headquarters. The Germans never found
out. Eventually Lindsey was well enough to travel and he was
passed on to another group that got him over the Pyrenees
Mountains into Spain, and finally back to England. Lieutenant W.T.
Caldwell was posthumously awarded the second highest medal that
the U.S.A. bestows upon an individual for heroism in combat, the
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS.
From the historical records of Chester Klier at b26.com: http://www.
b26.com/historian/chester_klier/008.htm
reproductions, printed on canvas.
Sunday, August 22, 1943 - 386th Bomb Group Mission Number 8:
Target: Airdrome located at Beaumont le Roger, France.
...Lieutenant W.T. Caldwell was flying a ship named "PAY OFF"
134971 RU-Q in number six position of the low flight in the second
box. He was taking 20mm hits in the bomb bay, smoke began to
pour out as the fire spread. His right engine burst into flame, he was
able to hold formation momentarily, then took his plane out of
formation to the left. Tech Sergeant C.H. Burdick, Jr. was wounded
as he manned the top turret of that plane. One parachute appeared
as the ship lost altitude, but was still under control as it entered a
cloud bank. He picked up a bit of altitude and headed toward the
formation, a second parachute was seen to open. The plane rolled
over on its back and then into a vertical dive. The aircraft came
through the second cloud bank in three parts, all burning fiercely as
viewed by the Captain Caney crew flying "BOOMERANG" 131631
RU-G, they were in the number four position of the lead flight in the
second box.
Co-pilot on the Caldwell crew, Lieutenant Andrew Lindsey picks up
the narration just prior to his bailing out of the stricken bomber: "The
gasoline and hydraulic lines had been punctured, the hydraulic fluid
and gasoline made a furnace of our bomb bay almost at once. Under
those circumstances the likely hood of an explosion was present
every second. W.T. with complete disregard for his own life
maintained control of the aircraft until his crew could abandon it. No
more could be expected of any man. When I left the cockpit, W.T.
was still on the controls, smoke was so thick I could see the
instruments only with difficulty." End of co-pilot statement.
Lieutenant Lindsey received burns on his face and hands as he
exited the plane.
In the same low flight, Aerial Engineer Staff Sergeant Billie B. Boyd,
Jr. was manning his single waist gun in ship 131628 RU-L which was
piloted by Flight Officer Durward Casey. A FW-190 dipped under
their B-26 at 6 o’clock low position and out at 4 o’clock level.
Eighteen year old Boyd rattled off one long burst from his 50 caliber
Browning Machine gun at the attacking aircraft. Captain Clarence Mc
Kinney flying as an observer in ship 134947 RU-K flown by
Lieutenant Emmett Curran in number four position of the same low
flight picks up the narration: "Staff Sergeant Boyd was firing at the
FW-190 at a range of 25 yards. His fire raked the enemy plane from
rudder to engine cowl, then the pilot’s head lurched back as the
plane began emitting smoke and flames as it went into a spin. It
crashed on the ground burning furiously! That particular FW-190 had
a light gray bottom, black nose and yellow around the numbers and
insignia." The Staff Sergeant received full credit for destroying that
enemy plane.
The fate of the "Pay-Off" crew is as follows:
Lieutenants W.T. Caldwell, Jr. KIA—A.G. Lindsey, evaded—F.A.
Schultz. KIA—Tech Sergeant C.H. Burdick, evaded—Staff Sergeants
W.A. Callahan, POW—E.C. Sharpe, POW. Callahan managed to make
contact with some members of the French Underground and made it
to the Spanish Border, only to be picked up by the Germans when
they shook down a train. Burdick made contact with the
Underground as well, but no details are known how he evaded.
Sharpe was captured immediately due to the fact he landed directly
into the Field Headquarters of a Panzer Unit. He was injured during
his landing because his chute did not fully deploy. Lindsey was able
to connect with a young boy who was in the French Resistance.
Later he was turned over to a man by the name of Henri and his wife
Honor who lived in Evreux, France. His wife took care of Andrew
Lindsey’s burns on his face and hands and fed him during his
painful recuperation time. Later he moved in with Jacques and
Magdeleine Mourlet, they lived in the town of Quimper (Normandy).
They were active in the Underground movement also. They lived up
stairs and a Gestapo Officer lived down stairs. The house only three
doors from the Gestapo Headquarters. The Germans never found
out. Eventually Lindsey was well enough to travel and he was
passed on to another group that got him over the Pyrenees
Mountains into Spain, and finally back to England. Lieutenant W.T.
Caldwell was posthumously awarded the second highest medal that
the U.S.A. bestows upon an individual for heroism in combat, the
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS.
From the historical records of Chester Klier at b26.com: http://www.
b26.com/historian/chester_klier/008.htm
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