Crew-33 sitting in front of a B-24

Description: 

Photograph. Officers and enlisted men of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator sitting on a runway in front of the B-24’s nose; “028” and a naked pinup are on the nose. Typed caption on reverse: “Crew-33 / From Left to Right: / Front Row. / Lt. Ray Gilbreath [graphite checkmark] Clinton, Tenn. CO-Pilot / Lt. T.L. Underwood [graphite checkmark] Boston, Mass. Bombardier / Lt. P. D. Tobin Jr. [graphite checkmark] Birmingham, Mich. Pilot / Lt. D.H. Miller [graphite checkmark] Cleveland, Ohio Navigator / Back Row. / S. Sgt. W.K. Roberts Blawnox, Pa. 1st. Eng. / Sgt. C.C. Sweeney Covington, Ky. Arm Gunner / Sgt. P.Mp Cunniff [graphite checkmark] Boston, Mass. 2nd. Eng. / Sgt. Clair Kreidler [graphite checkmark] Scranton, Oa. 3rd. Eng. / Sgt. J.V. Williams [graphite checkmark] Charlotte, N.C. Tail Gunner / Sgt. E.B. Lincoln Reading, Mass. Radio Oper.” Location unknown. No date [Cataloger’s note: graphite check marks are next to future crew members of the B-24H “Shack Rabbit”, which
was shot down over Germany on 6 March 1944]

Image Information

Donor: 
James Messinger
Accession Number: 
2014.021.002
Date: 
Location: 
Hometown: 
Branch: 
Theater of Service: 
Unit: 
733rd Bombardment Squadron
453rd Bombardment Group
8th Air Force
Campaign / Event: 
POW / KIA: 
Topical Subjects: 
Collection Level: 
Items from the service of Elmer Sanford Porris, who served as an enlisted man in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Porris was born on 3 June 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Malvine (née Klein) and Max Porris. He registered for the draft on 27 June 1942 and was ordered to report for induction on September 22nd. Porris remained in the USAAF until his honorable discharge on 13 December 1945. He married Eva Miller on 1 September 1946 and remained in the Cleveland area until his death on 27 March 1984. The collection consists of Porris’ Order to Report for Induction, six (6) stateside photographs of Porris, and a photograph of a B-24 crew assigned to the Eighth Air Force.