Waist Gunner S/Sgt. Frederick L. Stukey Jr KIA
Squadron: 389th Bomb Gp 98th Bomb Gp
Home: Little Rock, AR.
Service# 38178660
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart
Pilot Pilot Capt. James A. Gunn III DFC KIA

Target;"Operation Tidal Wave " (White 4) Ploesti.
Missing Air Crew Report Details
USAAF MACR#:
Date Lost: 1-Aug-43
Serial Number: 41-11840
Aircraft Model B-24D
Aircraft Letter:P
Aircraft Name: SNOW WHITE
Cause; Bulgarian fighter. 8KIA 1POW
Location: Missing Downed NE of Skopje at Brod today Macedonia

Sgt. Stukey lost his life in "Operation Tidal Wave" one of the most daring raids if WWII and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for valor on this mission.

Briefed to fly in the 3rd wave attacking White IV at Ploesti, from Berka II at Libya with the 98th BG.
Gunn dropped to aid THE WITCH of Lt Darlington during the withdrawal from Ploesti, they were intercepted by Bulgarian ME-109 at 13:40 hrs. SNOW WHITE was claimed shot down by Lt. Peter Bochev of the Bulgarian AF. Captain Gunns ship took fire on the fuselage and crashed in the mountainous area NE of Skopje at Brod (today Macedonia). Only SSgt S. Horine who was badly burned managed to bail out. On 3rd of August 1943 a SAR mission was sent from Libya to search for Capt.Gunn, the aircraft performed SAR patterns over the estimated crash site at 500 feet AGL returning with no results to Libya.

Thanks to Lt.Quigley the Bombardier on Lt.Darlingtons crew for whom Jim Gunn and his crew gave their lives, the SNOW WHITE crewmans remains were located and reinterred with honors in a common grave at Arlington National Cemetery after WWII.

Crew of SNOW WHITE
Capt James A. Gunn III Pilot
1st/Lt. Richard C. Williamson Co Pilot
1st/Lt. Bernard E Leimbach Navigator
2nd/Lt. Robert E. Courtney Bombardier
T/Sgt. Edwin L. Turner Engineer
T/Sgt.Delmar E. Smith Radio Op.
T/Sgt.Delmar E. Smith Radio Op.
S/Sgt.Charles R. Ruark Gunner
S/Sgt.Frederick Stukey Gunner
S/Sgt. Stanley Myron Horine Gunner