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A memorial monumentfundraiser has been setup to honor those killed inthe crash of Hot Stuffandto honor Hot Stuffand hercrew for being the first to

complete 25 missions in the8th Air Force in World WarII. The monument will beplaced near the crash site inGrindavik, Iceland.

You can help with your taxdeductible donation.

Name _____________________________

Address __________________________

City _______________________________

State _____________________________

ZIP _______________________________

Email _____________________________

Phone ( ____ ) _________- ___________

Amount $________ _________________

Mail To:

93rd Bombardment Group Assoc.995 Cottonwood LaneGlenwood Springs, CO. 86101 www.b24hotstuff.wikispaces.com

RememberingThe B-24 Liberator

Hot Stuff

Her Crew & Lt. GeneralFrank M. Andrews

And those wholost their liveswhen Hot Stuff

crashed onMay 3, 1943

Those killed in the crash on Mt. Fagradalsfjall,Iceland on May 3, 1943:

Pilot - Capt. Robert H. Shine Shannon

Copilot - Lt. Gen. Frank M. Andrews

Navigator - Capt. James E. Gott

Radio Operator - S/Sgt. Kenneth A. Jeffers

Engineer - S/Sgt. Lloyd C. Weir

Gunner - S/Sgt. Paul H. McQueen

Adna W. Leonard - Methodist Bishop, Chairman of the

Corps of ChaplainsBrig. Gen. Charles A. Barth - Gen. Andrews Chief of

Staff

Col. Morrow Krum - Member of Gen. Andrews Staff

Col. Frank M. Miller - Army Chaplain, Chief ofChaplains

Lt. Col. Fred L. Chapman - US Army

Maj. Theodore C. Tomad - US Army

Capt. Joseph T. Johnson - Gen. Andrews Aide

Surviving Crewmember:

Gunner - S/Sgt. George A. Eisel

Hot Stuffcrewmembers who were the first tocomplete 25 missions in the 8th Air Force:

Pilot - Capt. Robert H. Shine Shannon

Copilot - Capt. John H. Lentz

Navigator - Capt. James E. Gott

Bombardier - 1st Lt. Robert T. Jacobson

Engineer - S/Sgt. Joseph L. Craighead

Radio Operator - S/Sgt. Kenneth A. Jeffers

Tail Gunner - S/Sgt. George A. Eisel

Gunner - S/Sgt. George D. FarleyGunner - S/Sgt. Grant C. Rondeau

Gunner - S/Sgt. Paul H. McQueen

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The B-24 Liberator Hot Stuffheavy bomberand her crew were the first in the 8th Air Forceto complete 25 missions in World War II. HotStuffwas ordered back to the United States totour the country and help sell war bonds.

Lt. General Frank M. Andrews, Commanderof the European Theater of Operations, wasordered back to Washington, D. C. He contactedhis friend Col. Ted Timberlake, Commander ofthe 93rd Bombardment Group, and requested

to fly back to the United States with Capt.Robert Shine Shannon whom he also knew.Gen. Andrews was an experienced pilot andwould take the copilots seat. Capt. Shannonwas unaware until a short time before theywere to leave for the United States that Gen.Andrews was also taking two members of hisstaff, a civilian Methodist Bishop who was alsoChairman of the Corps of Chaplains, and twoArmy Chaplains. The B-24 was not designed tocarry that many people so five Hot Stuffcrew-members were bumped from the flight.

Hot Stufftook off from Bovington, Fieldin England for the United States with interimstops planned for Prestwick, Scotland andReykjavik, Iceland. It was decided to bypassPrestwick so Hot Stuffcontinued on towardIceland.

The weather was good for most of the flight,but started to deteriorate about 60 nauticalmiles off the south coast of Iceland where theyencountered low visibility, rain and snow. Theycircled above a British airfield at Kaldadarnesbut high winds and heavy rain prevented themfrom landing. They continued west along thesouth coast about sixty feet above the water insight of land and attempted to land at MeeksField in Keflavik but the ceiling was so low theymissed the airfield.

They decided to return to The BritishAirfield at Kaldadarnes and climbed to analtitude of about 850 ft. but, because of poorvisibility, high winds and rain they were offcourse and slammed into 1,100 ft. high Mt.Fagardalsfjall. All onboard were killed exceptthe tail gunner, George Eisel. Although he wasonly slightly injured, his foot was caught in thetail section and he was unable to free himself.The plane caught fire and George thought hewas going to burn to death or be killed by

exploding ammunition, but a heavy rain put outthe fire and help arrived about 24 hours afterthe crash.

With the exception of Gen. Andrews,everyone onboard Hot Stuffwas soon forgotten.

Hot Stuffand the surviving crewmemberswho were the first to complete 25 missions inthe 8th Air Force were also forgotten.

Gen. Jacob E. Smart, former USAF Chiefof Staff and Aide to Gen. Hap Arnold duringWorld War II, agreed that Shannons Hot Stuffwas the first in the 8th Air Force to complete25 missions even though the heralded MemphisBelle, B-17 Flying Fortress, wears the label.

Camp Springs Army

Airfield, Maryland wasrenamed Andrews Field(now Joint Base AndrewsNaval Air Facility) forhim on February 7, 1945.However, he too haslost his rightful placein history. Few peopleremember it was Gen.Andrews who advocateda separate Air Force.He outranked Gen. Eisenhower and replaced

him as Commander of the European Theaterof Operations and probably, according to Gen.Hap Arnold, would have been given the job ofSupreme Allied Commander had he not beenkilled.

Hot Stuffon its 3rd missionoff the coast of France on

October 31, 1942

8th Air Force93rd Bomb Group 330th Bomb Sqd.www.b24hotstuff.wikispaces.com

B-24 LiberatorHot StuffA Story of Triumph and Tragedy

Lt. Gen.

Frank M. Andrews