B-24 Aircraft that the Bentcliff Crew Flew on during their time in the European Theater

The list below is a compiled list of the B-24 Aircraft

that 1st Lt. Charles L Gempel and the Bentcliff Crew

Flew on.  The first column called missions flown

represents the number of missions that aircraft was

used in.  The Gempel on Missions column is the number

of times the crew used that aircraft during the war. 

The total count is 25. Some of the most famous planes

Sabrina 3 & Joplin Jalopy were very successful, well

built aircraft.  Shack Rat did well also.  What is

significant & sad is the plane they died in, labelled

the Bar T, was only in theater during the time they

were there and ultimately was the aircraft they

perished on.  This aircraft was made in the Dallas

area factory and had a hull number of 1338.  Hull

numbers were used on aircraft originally designed to

be seaplanes or seaworthy.  The nomenclature stuck to

these aircraft throughout the war.
                          <><><>

Aircraft S/N	Name	Missions    Flown	Date of Last  Mission	Gempel  on Missions
42-50535	Joplin Jalopy	64	4/25/1945	1
42-50626	My Gal Sal	16	8/25/1944	2
42-50644	no name	43	4/25/1945	2
42-50733	no name	9	8/18/1944	3
42-94952	Shack Rat	57	9/8/1944	1
42-95207	no name	8	7/21/1944	7
42-95209	Sabrina III	105	4/20/1945	4
42-95531	no name	53	4/25/1945	1
44-10523	Bar T	12	10/30/1944	4

Going Forward what will we find as we search for answers to the world's issues?

Earth from Space
(courtesy of MS Word 2010 Clip-art)

A poem by Doug Gempel
June 19, 2013


We are gliding through space
as the human race,

wanting to be free and hear our plea,

That we are a great planet but
if you don't see it can it,

Because we have created our earth
free to surf,

Through the stars above
we seek the peace of a dove,

As we manage our problems of which we created,
we could not do worse if we were sedated

for in man's growth on this humble place
some of us forgot to pray for God's grace,

We now are looking to the future
to try to fix and repair man's suture,

To the many ecological seams,
we search for answers to these themes,

we can save earth with community purpose,
but we must stop war and all of its surface,

For in the end of these great days,
it would be good to say we survived man's ways.


The End
<><><>