Crew 53 – Assigned 754th Squadron – October 1943

Lt Mel Watson and crew trained in Tonopah, Nevada with the 458th during the latter half of 1943.  They moved to the ETO in January 1944 with the rest of the Group via the Southern Ferry Route.

The crew flew their first mission on March 5, 1944 in a B-24H named Dixie Belle II.  This aircraft would later become the 458th’s second assembly ship, Spotted Ape.  The crew had completed 15 of their 30-mission tour by the end of April 1944.  Towards the end of May, when they had about 27 completed sorties, Watson was assigned to fly the assembly ship, First Sergeant.  While on the ground, a flare was accidentally discharged causing a fire and the loss of the ship.  In getting out of the burning plane, Watson and Faggoli, the flight engineer, sustained burns and were hospitalized for a period of time.  It wasn’t until the latter part of June that Watson and crew flew their next mission.

While most of the original crews had completed their 30 missions before the month of June was out, it appears that Crew 53, being later than the rest of the original group, were required to fly 35 missions that became the requirement in the summer of 1944.  Most of the crew were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in July and were returned to the States or reassigned.

S/Sgt Carson Fisher was not listed with the other enlisted men of his crew in July, but it is probable that he completed his tour with them.  S/Sgt Charles Sanford evidently remained with the group through the month of December 1944, as his name is shown being “Removed from flying status” early in that month.

While preparing for assembly duties on the morning of May 27, 1944, Watson’s crew had to scramble out of the aircraft after a flare pistol accidentally discharged and set fire to the flight deck.  Acy Marchand and William Butt made it out through the bomb bay with no injuries, but Mel Watson and Paul Faggoli received 2nd degree facial burns while escaping via the same exit.  The aircraft was a total loss.

NAVIGATOR’S STATEMENT
Crew was getting ready to start engines prior to take-off. The co-pilot had no arrived at the ship so the engineer was sitting in co-pilot’s seat. Swiches were turned on and I was starting the A.P.U. I had difficulty in starting it and as I was priming it I heard an explosion. I thought that the A.P.U. had backfired. I heard another explosion and a ball of fire went past my head. I noticed a fire on the flight deck. I jumped out of the plane to get the fire extinguisher which was out with the fire guard. By the time it was brought into play the flames were so intense that they could not be brought under control.

Acy A. Marchand
1st Lt, AC

RADIO OPERATOR’S STATEMENT
We were scheduled to fly the assembly ship along with Major Henson who had not arrived at that time.  The pilot, Lt WATSON, and the Engineer were in the pilot and co-pilot’s seats making the checks before starting the motors.  Lt MARCHAND, navigator, was starting the auxiliary power unit.  The ground man was standing fire guard at #3 engine.  I had loaded one flare pistol laid it down and was loading another and was laying it down when it fired.  My efforts to put it our failed and I left the ship following the navigator.  T/Sgt Faggioli and Lt WATSON followed.  The ground man tried to extinguish it but his efforts also failed.  The plane then flamed and burned.

William E. Butt  3562116
S/Sgt, AC

After the demise of First Sergeant, the group was in need of a new formator.  B-24H-10-DT 41-28697 Z5 in the 754th Squadron was painted in the same scheme as her predecessor and became known as Spotted Ape. Prior to this, the aircraft had participated in eight combat missions under the name of Dixie Belle II.  Coincidentally, Watson and crew flew Dixie Belle II on the first seven of those flights.  This aircraft performed assembly duties until a landing accident on March 9, 1945 brought an end to her career.