Memorabilia
Pilot Watch
Silk Escape Map
Silk Escape Map issued to all TIDALWAVE Airmen
Doc's Dog Tags
GERRITS, JAMES F.
0795937 T42-43 0
Pieces of "Hitler's Hearse"
"Aluminum tubing removed from the wreckage of B-24D #42-40544 by Muharrem Koken during the 1940's"
Bomb pins saved by Doc
Bomb Pin #1
RAID #1 | CRETE-MALAME FIELD | LT. SCATES LOST | 5 ME 109s' DOWNED | July 9, 1943
(THE HORNETS NEST RAID)
Original bomb pin saved by Gerrits. From the inscription, we can infer that this came from the "Hornets Nest Raid" of Malame, Crete, Greece, though information online is scarce. This was the first combat mission for the 567th squadron. Fellow B-24 bomber pilot, Arthur J. Scates, was declared MIA after his plane, "Stella", went down off the coast of Crete [1]. He also notes that 5 Messerschmitt Bf 109 "ME's" where shot down during the raid.
Bomb Pin #2
RAID #2 | REGGIO ITALY | NO FIGHTERS ENCOUNTERED | July 13, 1943 | LT. WRIGHT LOST
Bomb Pin #3
#3 | JULY 14 | LT. BROWN LOST TO FLAK | COLONEL WOOD WENT INTO MALTA, HIS BOMBARDIER MAJOR RAND BAILED OUT OVER SICILY | LT. WRIGHT (RAID 2) LANDED IN SICILY O.K. | A.A. VERY INTENSE & ACCURATE
Bomb Pin #4
#4 | JULY 19 | ROME ITALY 10½ HRS. | ALL SHIPS IN AFRICA TOOK PART | RAILROAD YARDS HIT | NO SHIPS LOAST | NO FIGHTERS | MODERATE FLACK
Bomb Pin #5
Aug. 1 1943 | BOMB FUSE PIN FROM PLOSTI (RUMANIA) RAID | 6 SHIPS LOST | 250 FT
Bomb Pin #6
RAID #6 | DEC. 20, 1943 - BREMEN GERMANY | HEAVY FLAK | ME 210 ATTACKS FROM NOSE | P47 ESCORT | LT LORENZ LOST
Bomb Pin #7
RAID #7 | DEC. 24, 1943 - ECLIMAUX FRANCE | ROCKET GUN SITE | MILK RUN | NO FLAK | NO FIGHTERS
Bomb Pin #8
RAID #8 | NO SHIPS LOST 3 CRASH LANDED | ST. JOHN DE ANGLEY SOUTH OF FRANCE | 38S OVER TARGET | 2 BOMB RUNS | HEAVY FIGHTER ATTACKS | BOMBARDIER GOT A FW 190
Backside of the Bomb Pins
"To be removed after bomb has been placed in dropping gear and arming wire inserted. If bomb is not dropped, replace pin before removing arming wire."
[1] “1LT Arthur Jesse Scates (1920-1943) - Find a Grave...” Find a Grave,
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56250173/arthur-j_-scates.
“Arthur J. Scates.” MTSU Veterans Memorial Project | Middle Tennessee State University,
https://www.mtsu.edu/military/memorial/scates.php.