Cover Girl Diary, The combat Missions of B-24 Radio Operator John D. Foster
John D. Foster, Edited by Hayden Hamilton
John H. Foster wearing his original WWII Cover Girl flight jacket holding a picture showing the Cover Girl nose art on his B-24. (Photo by Patrick Gilbert, Strata Aviation Art)
Cover Girl Diary, The Combat Missions of B-24 Radio Operator John D. Foster
IIn 1943, a 20-year-old Californian enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. After basic and specialty training as a radio operator, John D. Foster was assigned to serve in the newly formed 845th Bombardment Squadron (BS) of the 489th Bombardment Group (BG), equipped with Consolidated B-24 Liberators. Foster actually joined his crew during its transit to England in April/May 1944, where they would operate under the command of the USAAF Eighth Air Force. The unit was deployed via the South Atlantic route, with Foster meeting up with his crew in Africa.
Foster’s crew was composed of:
| Pilot | Capt. John W. Elliott | Okla. |
| Copilot | Lt. Douglas J. Strong | Mich. |
| Navigator | Lt. Rubin Kaplan | N.Y. |
| Bombardier | Lt. Hughey R. Smith | Okla. |
| Engineer | T/Sgt. Villiain B. Olmsted | N.Y. |
| Radio Operator | T/Sgt. John D. Foster | Calif. |
| Nose Gunner | S/Sgt. William Burcham | Ill. |
| Right Waist | S/Sgt. Ormand Bruner | Kan. |
| Left Waist | S/Sgt. David Y. Green | Ill. |
| Tail Gunner | S/Sgt. Marvin Glassman | Ohio |
The 489th BG, along with the 845th BS was activated October 1, 1943, as part of the Second Air Force. The squadron was based at Wendover Field, Utah, where they trained until being deployed to the European Theater of Operations on April 3, 1943, arriving around May 1 at RAF Halesworth (AAF 365), Surrey, which would serve as their base of operation throughout the ETO deployment of the 489th BG. The squadron, after a short orientation, was sent on their first mission on May 30 as
part of the build up to D-Day. Foster flew his first mission on . . . .
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