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Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 17 Aug 2022 2318
by kabernathy
Would love to find out more about my great-uncle James J. Riley. I recently acquired the attached photo of him (on the right) and figured I would share.
Fam108.jpg

Re: Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 05 Nov 2022 1853
by Bob Tupa
Seems like your uncle was part of the Art Rogers crew when he commanded the 90th and who was the reason for the name Jolly Rogers.

Re: Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 05 Nov 2022 1929
by Bob Tupa
BBJimRiley.jpg
Jim Riley

Re: Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 05 Nov 2022 2134
by Bob Tupa
From Col Rogers' memoirs.

One of my waist gunners, Sgt. Riley, had been a staff car driver in the City of Brisbane
before he convinced me he came over to fight the Japs and not to drive Colonels around. When I
asked him where he came from he replied, “Out of a coon hollow in Tennessee.” He told me he
had hunted and shot guns all of his life and had volunteered, giving up a job driving Greyhound
busses, to come over and fight Japs and instead had ended up driving a five passenger staff car
for a bunch of Colonels. He thought this was quite an injustice and knowing that I was second in
command, at that time, of a combat outfit he insisted that I give him a chance to personally kill a
few Japs before coming home. It was impossible for me to turn him down he was so sincere and
36
after contacting two headquarters I had him transferred away from his soft living into the jungles of
New Guinea. There was never a time that I regretted making the effort to get this transfer
approved.

Re: Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 08 Nov 2022 0846
by kabernathy
Thank you for sharing, Bob! Where might I find a copy of Col. Rogers memoirs?

Re: Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 08 Nov 2022 1113
by Bob Tupa
Crew credit for enemy planes shot down.

Re: Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 08 Nov 2022 1114
by Bob Tupa
Page one of the crew credit order

Re: Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 08 Nov 2022 1115
by Bob Tupa
Crew credit last page

Re: Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 08 Nov 2022 1125
by Bob Tupa
The significance of Connell's Special is that it is the first B24 with a nose turret in combat.
In 1942 Art Rogers noted the problems with the glass house socket guns in the nose of the B24 and was working on putting a turret in the nose while station at Willow Run just prior to deployment to Hawaii.
In The Wartime Journals of Charles A Lindberg he talks about facilitating a meeting between Major Rogers and Mr. Ford that started the process where 24s were manufactured with nose turrets.
Connell's Special had a nose turret installed in theater in Australia so your uncle was part of this.

Re: Connell's Special - Sgt. James J. Riley

Posted: 08 Nov 2022 1139
by Bob Tupa
Second historical note for Connell's Special

Rogers in his memoirs says that he felt the olive paint was of no value. The crackled paint and the weight of the painted was detrimental to the performance so he had the paint removed from his plane and was able to demonstrate an increase in performance which resulted in the B24 being manufactured without the olive paint. They were originally hesitant to deploy the plane in combat because it would standout and might get more attention from the Japanese.