Victor Darilek's "Log Book"
Below is the log book of my dad, a 'nose gunner' in the B-24 Liberator
plane of WW II. He flew on several planes, but the main one was the "Delectable
Doris" named after the pilots girl friend, a Model B24J, SN 42-50551. He
was in the 8th Air Force with the 389th Bomb Group, 566 squadron stationed
at Hethel, England near Norwich.
He has never talked very much about what happened.
Dad said he was not suppose to keep any written records of the missions,
but he did keep a few notes in a small pocket note book, I'm glad he did.
Back row left to right-
R.A. Jackson - Co-pilot
L.L. Eubanks - Bombadier
S. Chiarenza - Navigator
W.C. Graff - Pilot
Front row left to right-
A.J. Galgano - Radio Op./Gunner
J.P. Wyatt - Waist Gunner
N.Y. Yarborough - Lower Ball Gunner
V.J. Darilek - Engineer/Nose Gunner
J.L. Lewis - Armor/Tail Gunner
J.P. Tessier - Engineer/Top Gunner
Back row left to right
J.P.Wyatt - Waist gunner
Lewis Eubanks - Bombadier
A.J.Tessier - Engineer/Top gunner
Bill Graff - Pilot
S.Chiarensa - Navigator
unknow - Co-pilot
Front row left to right
Norman Yarborough - Lower ball gunner
Jim Lewis - Tail gunner
Victor Darilek - Engineer/Nose gunner
A.J.Galgano - Radio Operator
(Ten missions indicated on side of plane,
picture taken "somewhere" in England)
B-24 Liberator
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Crew #55
Graff W.C. 2nd Lt. 0-686463 (Pilot)
Jackson R.A. 2nd Lt. 0-695746 (Co-pilot)
Eubanks L.L. 2nd Lt. 0-691881 (Bombadier)
Chiarenza S. 2nd Lt. 0-698660 (Navigator)
Tessier A.J.P Sgt. -31271576 (Top Gunner & Engineer)
Galgano A.T. Sgt. -12083090 (Right Side Gunner & Radio Op.)
Darilek V.J. Sgt. -18178343 (Nose Gunner & Engineer)
Yarborough N. Sgt. -15097528 (Ball Turret Gunner)
Wyatt J.P. Sgt. -38293276 (Waist Gunner)
Lewis J.L. Sgt. -39855194 (Tail Gunner)
B24-J Little Nell
Topeka to W. Palm Beach
Waller, Trinidad 3-7-44
Bellem, Brazil 3-9-44
Fortaleza, Brazil 3-13-44
Dakar, F.W. Africa 3-15-44
Marrakech, F. Morrocco 3-17-44
Vally, Wales 3-20-44
Stone, England 3-22-44
Cookstown, N.I. 3-30-44
Port Partick, Scot. 4-16-44
Norwich, England 4-17-44
60 hrs comming over.
Mission #1
April 28-44
Plane N+ B-24-H
"No Ball" to Pas de Calais, France
Medium flak, some rockets, no planes.
P-47 escort
3-2000 G.P. & 2-1000 G.P.
1800 Gal. 4 Hrs,10 Min.
Hackbarth was pilot
(Note:"No Ball" targets were launch
locations of the German Buzz Bombs)
April 29 - 44
Plane D+ B-24-J.
"No Ball" to Pas de Calais, France
Abortion - Engine (#3) trouble
8-1000 G.P.
2000 Gal.
3 Hrs + 30 Min.
No Mission
Hackbarth was pilot
Mission #2
May 1-44
Plane I+ B24-D
"No Ball" to Syracourt, France
Plenty of flak,
Formation below us caught Hell.
P-47 & P-38 support
8-1000 G.P.
2000 Gal.
4 Hrs +10 Min.
Hackbarth was pilot
Mission #3
May 2-44
Plane G+ B-24-H
"No Ball" to Syracourt, France,
Medium flak, no planes.
P-47 & P-38 support.
Bombed with G.H. through solid overcast
8-1000 G.P.
2000 Gal.
3 Hrs +35 Min.
Ack-Ack shot hell out of chaff, behind & below us.
Hackbarth was pilot.
Mission #4
May 8-44
Plane N+ B-24-J
Brunswick, Germany !!
200 enemy pursuit planes. Heavy flak
P-47, P51, & P38 out numbered by Jerries.
52-100# incendiaries
2300 Gal.
5 Hrs 50 Min.
Lost twelve B-24,
Yarborough claimed F.W. 190
Graff pilot, first mission.
Pretty cold (35 deg.) below.
Mission #5
May 9-44
Plane E+ B-24-D
Florennes, Belgium.
Meager, but accurate flak.
P-51 Good support.
42-100 G.P.
2300 Gal.
5 Hrs.
First burst of flak hit B24 under us,
it aborted, Lost three B-24.
May 10-44
Plane D+ B-24
Gutersloh, Germany.
RECALL
May 11-13th
On pass to London
Boy ! What a time !!
May 15 to 18th
Got our own ship now Q+ A good ship.
Closed in waist window, Model H,
Emerson nose, it has no mission.
Been trying for three days to take
her out. But been called back each
time on bad weather.
We are now a student lead crew !
Not bad, Big Shots !!
Mission #6
May 19-44
Plane Q+ B24-H
Brunswick, Germany again.
Flak was intense, but not accurate
over target. Doomer Lake was damned
accurate plus a good barrage. Got some
holes in bomb bay & both wings.
P-47 & P-38 escort.
52-100 # incediaries (-30 deg.)
6 Hrs & 39 Mins.
Lost a few ships, but not from out outfit.
Mission #7
May 20-44
Plane Q+ B24-H
Rheim, France
Flak was meager and moderate-fairly
accurate was mostly under us.
7-1000 # (-33 deg.)
P47 & P38 escort
6 Hrs & 40 Min.
Did a good job on the marshalling yards.
Capt. Johnson as waist gunner.
Mission # 8
May 23-44
Plane Q+ B24-H
Orleans, France
Flak was meager & inaccurate.
12-500 # G.P.
P47 & P38 support.
9 Hrs & 5 Min.
One flak hole in bombay. (-15 deg.)
May 24-44
Practice misssion today.
Just part of the crew has to fly.
Mission #9
May 25-44
Plane Q+ B24-H
Troyes, France Bombed 18 miles
from Paris, flak very,very accurate.
10-500 # G.P. (-20 deg.)
P38, P51, P47, support
7 Hrs & 20 Min.
Flak shot up our ship pretty bad. Cut our
rudder cables - landed without rudders.
Galgano & Chi (Chiarenza) hit by flak,
but not hurt.
Mission #10
May 28-44
Plane Q+ B24-H
Merceburg, Germany
Flak was moderate & inaccurate.
44-100# G.P.
P38, P51, P47 escort
7 Hrs & 10 Min.
Our plane our of hospital from last
mission. No holes today. Spent Sunday
afternoon touring Germany !!!
Mission #11
May 29-44
Plane Q+ B24-H
Politz, Germany
Flak moderate & inaccurate barrage fire.
10-500 # G.P. (-19 deg)
P38, P51, P47 escort
8 Hrs
Plenty of enemy fighter planes, 410, 109, & 190.
Our escort had a hard day. Right wing man hit & went to Sweden.
Mission #12
June 2-44
Plane Q+ B24-H
Bercks-sur-mer, France
No flak, No planes !
4-2000 # (-16 deg)
5 Hrs. & 45 Min.
Hit a battery of coastal artillery.
Mission #13
June 4-44
Plane Q+ B24-H
Romorantin, France
Airfield (-11 deg)
12-500# G.P.
6 Hrs & 45 Min.
P51, &P47 escort
Accurate flak at coast. One plane shot up.
Did 360 over channel and came in under weather,
went back up & down again. Did plenty
of sweating, mostly praying.
Hard earned 13th.
Mission #14
June 6-44
Plane Q+ B24-H
This is it !! The invasion of the COAST !!
52-100 # G.P. (-19 deg)
7 Hrs. P38, & P51
No flak - no fighters.
Ours were the first bombs to hit the
invasion coast from the heavy bombers,
566 led the invasion ATTACK. Recommended
for citation for work on June 4th.
Mission
15-30
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