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Regan, John J. "Babe"

Date of birth:
1917 (Chicago/Illinois, United States)
Date of death:
May 25th, 1944 (The Hump, China Burma India Theater)
Mentioned on:
American Cemetery and Memorial Manila
Nationality:
American

Biography

Class of 1940. Cisca 2; Intramural basketball & baseball 1,2 & 4. Entered the service from Illinois.

B-24J #42-100184 Missing Aircrew Report

Official USAAF report:

"On 25 May 1944, a plane of the 373rd Squadron took off from Yangkai on a routine flight to Chabua. It was last sighted by another crew which had been flying in formation with it, about fifteen minutes out of Chabua. At that time, there was nothing apparently wrong with the plane, but it appeared to turn off course, and nothing has been heard since from either the plane or the crew. Missing personnel are as follows:

1st Lt. Robert M. King pilot

2nd Lt. John B. Byron copilot

1st Lt. Eugene L. Bernstein navigator

T/Sgt. Robert R. Riley engineer

T/Sgt. John J. Reagan radio op

S/Sgt. Earl L. Smith gunner

S/Sgt. Garland J. Reed gunner

Cpl. Merle L. Pickup passenger

S/Sgt. Raymond J. Bridge passenger

Capt. Thomas H. Clare passenger, Chaplain, 341st Bomb Group"


42-100184 wore the nose art "DREAMBOAT" according to Roy Johnson, a radio operator who crewed on 42-100184, in his book "What A Life," p.176 (2009).

There are no known photographs of the nose art (yet).

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Sources