Lt Harry J Kay was the Bombardier in the Truscott flight crew. The Truscott crew was one of the original twelve crews in the 392nd Bombardment Squadron. Their first missions were flown in Nov 1943 from Canton in the Phoenix Islands. Their targets were Jaluit, Mille, Wotje and Maloelap. In Jan 1944 the squadron moved their base to Apamama, and then in Mar 1944 they moved again to Kwajalein. The Truscott crew completed their required 30 missions in mid-1944.

The plane usually flown by the Truscott crew was called DIRTY NELL (#42-72995). After that plane crashed they flew DIRTY NELL II (#42-73290).

The members of the Truscott crew were:

James Truscott (Pilot)

Lawrence L Mellas (Co-Pilot)

Paul E Wollerman (Navigator)

Harry J Kay (Bombardier)

Jack Holloway (Engineer)

Robert D Brennan (Radio Operator)

Frank V Pecorari (Tail Gunner)

William H Pentek Jr (Gunner)

Harold A Paul (Gunner)

Missions flown from Canton Island:

Date/Target: 22 Nov 1943 - Mille Atoll

Date/Target: 30 Nov 1943 - Taroa Island, Maleolap Atoll

Date/Target: 4 Dec 1943 - Mille Island

Date/Target: 13 Dec 1943 - Wotje Atoll

Date/Target: 15 Dec 1943 - Wotje Atoll

Date/Target: 20 Dec 1943 - Maleolap Atoll

Date/Target: 2 Jan 1944 - Wotje

Date/Target: 6 Jan 1944 - Taroa Island, Maleolap Atoll

Date/Target: 11 Jan 1943 - Mille Atoll

Missions flown from Apamama:

Date/Target: 23 Jan 1944 - Wotje Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 29 Jan 1944 - Roi Island, Kwajalein Atoll -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 17 Feb 1944 - Kusaie Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 21 Feb 1944 - Ponape Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 25 Feb 1944 - Ponape Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 29 Feb 1944 - Mille Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 7 Mar 1944 - Jaluit Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 11 Mar 1944 - Nauru Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 15 Mar 1944 - Truk Atoll -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 19 Mar 1944 - Wake Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 21 Mar 1944 - Mille Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 21 Mar 1944 - Maleolap Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 21 Mar 1944 - Wotje Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Missions flown from Kwajalein:

Date/Target: 28 Mar 1944 - Truk Atoll -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 31 Mar 1944 - Truk Atoll -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 5 Apr 1944 - Wake Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 17 Apr 1944 - Saipan Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 26 Apr 1944 - Ponape Island -----Airplane B-24: Dirty Nell II, #42-73290

Date/Target: 4 May 1944 - Ponape Town, Ponape Island -----Airplane B-24: Little General, #42-73030

Date/Target: 6 May 1944 - Truk Atoll -----Airplane B-24: Incendiary Sue, #42-72991

Date/Target: 28 May 1944 - Ponape Island -----Airplane B-24: Tropical Trollop, #42-100405

Date/Target: 31 May 1944 - Wake Island -----Airplane B-24: Tropical Trollop, #42-100405

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From the History of the 392nd Bombardment Squadron:

"On April 26, 1944, ten (10) of our planes and eight of VD-3 took off from Eniwetok to photograph and bomb Guam....Over the target, Captain Truscott, in A/P #290, lost oil from #1 engine causing it to freeze up so that the prop could not be feathered. He was able to reach and land at Los Negros Island only by jettisoning every movable article in the plane. The other six (6) planes, however, reached Los Negros without incident, and the next day re-armed with ten one-hundred pound bombs and dropped them on Langor Island, Ponape on the way home. Moderate and accurate A/A fire from heavy guns was experienced over Langor Island, but our planes suffered no damage...."

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More information about the 30th Bombardment Group:

30th Bombardment Group (Heavy)

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