This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Barbara Roesch-Family
to remember
Breece, David Sessions, Lt Col.
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Contact Info
Last Address Fayetteville, NC
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Served Africa 1942-1943; transferred to "Ferry Command" in Long Beach, CA in an aircraft maintenance/inspection capacity. This command used the women pilots to return aircraft to assigned bases. Before discharge he spent time at "Sunken Lunken" AFB in Cincinnati OH, so named after a heavy storm caused serious flooding. About 1946 he was discharged to civilian life. He was recalled c1950 for duty in Japan during Korean War, as non-combat pilot. He was an avid sportsman and acted as an ambassador of sorts at the Tokyo Tennis Club and spoke on the radio to Japanese youth giving them encouragement to persevere through hard times.
Transferred mainland in 1954, he decided to remain in the Air Force and was attached to Norton AFB 1954-1958, San Bernardino, CA; Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH 1958-1961 and finally Vandenburg AFB, Lompoc, CA 1961-1965. I believe most of his post war service involved some type of quality control function as he was attached to the Inspector General's Office in OH and spent two weeks of every month traveling to bases around the Pacific.
Other Comments:
After my father retired, he became a graduate from the Professional Golfer's Association and moved to Gold Rush country in CA where he sold real estate, played golf and generally enjoyed his much deserved last 36 years of life.
1942-1945, B-24 Liberator
From Year 1942
To Year 1945
Personal Memories
Not Specified
Image
B-24 Liberator Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
Specifications
Model Consolidated B-24J Liberator Length 67.16 ft | 20.47 m Width 110.01 ft | 33.53 m Height 18.01 ft | 5.49 m Engine(s) 4 x Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 radial piston engines generating 1,200hp. Empty Weight 36,500 lbs | 16,556 kg MTOW 65,001 lbs | 29,484 kg Max Speed 290 mph | 467 km/h | 252 kts Max Range 2,001 miles | 3,220 km Ceiling 28,002 ft | 8,535 m | 5.3 miles Climb Rate 800 ft/min (243.84 m/min) Hardpoints 0 Armament 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in nose assembly. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in tail assembly. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in upper-fuselage turret. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in under-fuselage assembly. 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in left-waist fuselage position. 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in right-waist fuselage position.
Up to 8,800lbs of internal bombs. Accommodations 10 Operators the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
* Model 31 - Flying Boat Model whose wing assembly would become the basis for the B-24 design. * Model 32 - Base B-24 Model Series Designation. * XB-24 - Initial Prototype Model Designation fitted with R-1830-33 radial piston engines generating 1,200hp. * YB-24 - Preproduction Model Designation * B-24A - Fitted with 2 x 7.62mm tail guns, 6 x 12.7mm machine guns in nose assembly, dorsal and waist gun positions. * B-24C - Fitted with turbocharged R-1830-41 engines; 8 x 12.7mm machine guns - nose (single gun), ventral, waist (left and right), dorsal turret (two guns) and tail turret (two guns). * B-24D - Based on the B-24C model but fitted with R-1830-43 engines; later models of this series would feature the twin 12.7mm ball turret gun assembly in the ventral fuselage position; self-sealing fuel tanks; 2,381 produced. * B-24E - Modified propeller systems; 801 produced. * B-24G - Fitted with R-1830-43 engines; powered nose turret with 2 x 12.7mm machine guns. * B-24H - Improved Model with extended nose section; 3,100 produced. * B-24J - Fitted with R-1830-65 engines; improved bombsight; autopilot functionality; 6,678 produced. * B-24L - Based on B-24J model but fitted with hand-operated tail guns; 1,667 produced. * B-24M - Based on B-24J model with lighter mounting for hand-operated tail gun; 2,593 produced. * XB-24Q - General Electric Conversion Model of B-24L model fitted with radio-controlled tail turret. * B-24Q - Final Production Model Designation * B-24Q * LB-30 - Transport Variant * C-87 - Air Force Transport Variant * RY - Navy Transport Variant * C-109 - Fuel Tanking Model * F-7 - Photographic Reconnaissance Model * PB4Y-1 - Patrol Bombing Model * PB4Y-2 - Specialized Model with single vertical tail surface assembly. * GR - British Maritime Reconnaissance Model.
