Thomas G. Baum was born on November 9, 1920 to Mr. and Mrs. George J. Baum who lived at 520 Gay Street, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.

Thomas was well known in Phoenixville as a grid star and as an all around sportsman.  He enjoyed hunting and fishing in his leisure time.

During his high school years, his family moved to Cresson, Pennsylvania, (in Cambria County northeast of Johnstown), and he graduated from Cresson High School.

Thomas returned to the Phoenixville area after graduation to study drafting at a school in Pottstown while working at Landes Brothers in Yerkes (south of Collegeville)

Thomas enlisted in the Army Air Forces in December 1941. He graduated from Turner Field, Georgia, receiving his “wings” as an Army Aviator in February 1943. Previous to his certification, he received training at a number of locations, including Georgia Aeronautical Tech, Georgia; Mississippi Institute of Aeronautics, Sheppard Field, Texas; Drew and Benjamin and Maxwell Fields in Florida; Bush Field in Georgia;  Davis Monthan Field, Arizona; Biggs Field, Texas and Lowery Field, Colorado. Thomas would write to his parents that he regretted having missed the hunting season back home in Pennsylvania.

Thomas met hero Walter Bevan from West Chester during his training.  They became good friends, even though they were assigned to different squadrons.

Thomas was assigned to the 389^th Bomb Group as a co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator Bomber. TThe 389^th was activated at Monthan Field, Arizona, and after further training, the group embarked in New York City for transportation to England. Thomas and Walter flew their aircraft to England, while their ground crews embarked June 30, 1943 on the liner Queen Elizabeth (converted to a troop transport for the war’s duration).  They arrived July 6^th and were stationed at Hethel, England,,  where they flew their first combat mission on July 9^th.

 

Thomas’s unit was temporarily stationed in North Africa, specifically Benghazi, Libya (July – August) and Massicault, Tunis (September- October) to fly against enemy targets reached from the Mediterranean.  Thomas was a co-pilot and flew a B-24 serial number 42-40722 nicknamed “The Little Gramper”.

On August 1, 1943, Thomas’ Bomb Group, along with others, flew a mission to attack the heavily defended Ploesti oil refineries in Romania.   The Romanian refineries provided over a third of the oil for the German war machine. During this mission, named Operation Tidal Wave, 178 B-24 aircraft flew 2,000 miles to their target, without fighter escort, attacking at treetop level, as low as 50 feet.

 

The Raid is summarized as follows:

At first light on August 1, 1943 a force of 178 B-24 Liberator bombers lifted off dusty airstrips in the Libyan Desert. They were to fly a 2000-mile round-trip deep into enemy territory, bomb a heavily defended target, and return to their North African base - without fighter escort. So began one of the bloodiest and heroic missions in the annals of aerial warfare. The target - the oil refineries at Ploesti.

One third of Germany's petroleum products were supplied from Ploesti, situated deep in Romania and well beyond the range of Allied bombers based in England. Deprived of this vital supply of fuel, Germany's mighty war machine would grind to a halt. The high command was aware of this and the installations at Ploesti were defended accordingly. To attack such a heavily defended target with the required degree of accuracy it was necessary to bomb from a perilously low level, a task for which the B-24 was notoriously unsuited. The mission called for inspired leadership, cool determination and courage beyond the call of duty - and all of these were given in plenty.

As the first wave of bombers roared into the target, some as low as 50 feet, the German defenses opened up with a barrage of fire. Within moments the entire area erupted with exploding bombs, bursting shells, gushing flames and billowing palls of smoke. One by one the gallant crews took their aircraft through the intense wall of Ack-Ack and 88mm ground fire, and into the burning inferno to deliver their deadly cargo.

Of the 178 B-24s dispatched, 52 were lost and all but 35 aircraft suffered damage, one limping home after 14 hours and holed in 365 places. Ploesti witnessed countless acts of heroism, for which the crews received more decorations for bravery than any other mission of the war.

 Thomas’ parents received word on his 23^rd birthday that their son was cited for bravery. Thomas was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, as well as the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster (in lieu of two Air Medals).

 

The Little Gramper later became a featured die cast model from the Franklin Mint. This was because of its role in the Ploesti Raid, and it later sported a very distinctive bright paint scheme as an “Assembly Aircraft”.  These were war weary aircraft distinctly painted in bright colors around which mission aircraft assembled, then, proceeded on their mission, while the assembly aircraft landed back at its base.

 

After Ploesti, “The Little Gramper’s” pilot, Lt. Dieterle, was promoted to a staff position. Thomas was assigned as co-pilot on the B-24 (serial number 42-40506) nicknamed “Fightn’ Sam” with Lt. Mason as pilot.

 

 

Thomas Baum (back row, first from left) pictured with the crew of "Fightn' Sam".

 

 

 

Thomas later flew his last mission.  Mason and Thomas Baum flew on 42-40738 the “The Oklahoman”.  Their mission was to bomb enemy targets at Cognac, France. The “Oklahoman” suffered a direct hit (pictured at right, CLICK TO ENLARGE)  by flak (antiaircraft shell – probably a German 88mm) over St. Nazarene.  Only the pilot, Mason, survived the hit and resultant crash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flight Officer Thomas G. Baum was Killed In Action on December 5, 1943 over France.