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2LT John
Stanley Woravka
514BS/376BG(H)
O-731127
Home state: OH
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Acknowledgement: Information courtesy of 376th
Veterans Association
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Left to right:
1 Lt. Hatton, Pilot
2 Lt. Robert F. Toner, Copilot
2 Lt. D. P. Hays, Navigator
2 Lt. John S. Woravka, Bombardier
T/Sgt. Harold J. Ripslinger, Aerial Engineer
T/Sgt. Robert E. LaMotte, Radio Operator
S/Sgt. Guy E. Shelley, Asst. Engineer-Gunner
S/Sgt. Vernon L. Moore, Asst. Radio Operator-Gunner
S/Sgt. Samuel E. Adams, Tail Gunner
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On April 4, 1943 the crew departed from Soluch in the "Lady Be
Good" plane # 41-24301 on a high altitude attack on the harbor at Naples, Italy. Of the
twenty-four B-24s participating in the mission only the "Lady Be Good" failed to
return to Soluch or be accounted for. The only contact with the lost crew was a
terse radio distress call shortly after midnight on April 5th.
In February 1959, a British Petroleum oil
exploration team discovered the nearly intact "Lady Be Good" 448 miles southeast
of Soluch in the untravelled Libyan Desert. Investigation at the crash site
confirmed that the crew had bailed out after exhausting their fuel.
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The discovery of the wreckage set-off an extensive search for the
crew encompassing an area of thousands of square miles. In February 1960, nearly
a year after the "Lady" reappeared, the remains of five crew members were found
78 miles northwest of the B-24. Leading to the crew's last camp site was a trail
of markers and personal equipment left behind as the men trekked northwest in
temperatures up to 130 degrees. Ultimately, two additional remains, Sgts.
Ripslinger and Shelley, were recovered over 100 miles from the bailout point.
In August 1960 another British
Petroleum team discovered remains of Lieutenant John S. Woravka who had failed
to link up with the other eight. His remains were found about 12 miles north
north-east of Lady Be Good. He was still in his full high altitude flying suit
with parachute attached. It appears that his parachute failed to open properly
and he perished at his landing site.
The exceptional preservation of the "Lady Be Good"
after 16 years exposure to one of the earth's most extreme environments prompted
the return of samples from the wreckage for technical study. In 1968, Mr. James
Walker, a research engineer with McDonnell Douglas Corp., initiated an
expedition to the crash site with a Royal Air Force desert rescue team.
Components recovered during this expedition subsequently provided invaluable
data on the useful life of aerospace materials. Displayed samples from this
investigation were donated to the Pima Air & Space Museum, (Tucson, AZ)
collections. |
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Other Websites about The Lady Be Good:
Quartermaster site is EXCELLENT. Full story and many photos.
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If you can provide more information,
please Contact Us. |
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