401 Bombardment Group / 612 Bombardment Squadron
1st Lieutenant John B. Dunn
From Woodbridge, New Jersey
KIA 19th May 1944 as co-pilot of B-17G / #42-38026 / SC-'N' / 'Sad Sac / My Day'.
Target Berlin but diverted to the secondary target, the port area of Kiel, Germany.
Hit by flak the aircraft exploded in mid-air and crashed at the Professor Peters Platz, Kiel.
9 KIA / 1 POW. MACR 4815.
1Lt Dunn is buried at Ardennes Cemetery B-25-44. Also see
The nose art photograph of #42-38026 (above left) was sourced from the 401 BG website www.401bg.org
The photograph of the belly landing of #42-38026 SC-'N' was taken on 24th April 1944. The damage was quickly repaired and the aircraft flew another six operational sorties before being shot down on May 19th 1944. (USAAF 65491AC).
The above group photograph of the Hagen crew is courtesy of the 401 BG website www.401bg.org
392 Bombardment Group / 576 Bombardment Squadron
2nd Lieutenant William E. WILSON
From Santa Rosa, California.
Killed in Action 15th March 1944 as co-pilot of B-24J / #42-99976 / CI-'D' / 'Pocatello Chief'.
Target: Brunswick, Germany. The aircraft was shot down by fighters over Hagen, exploded in mid-air and crashed near Hiddinghausen, 6 miles north-east of Wuppertal, Germany. 10 KIA.
MACR 3184.
The other pilot class book photograph of William Wilson was sourced from Class Book 43-H Lubbock Texas (Advanced Training).
The group photograph above right is courtesy of AAMIB / UPL 41467.
The pilot is standing 2nd from left. It is not known who of the other three man standing is William Wilson.
95 Bombardment Group / 354 Bombardment Squadron
2nd Lieutenant Everett T. ENSTROM
From Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Killed in Action 10th April 1944 as navigator(*) of B-24H / #42-31258 / BG-'J' / 'Lucky Strike'.
Target: Brussels, Belgium. Shot down by Me-109's the aircraft exploded in mid-air and crashed near Ercuis, 9 miles from Creil, France. 4 KIA / 4 POW / 2 Evaded.
*Note: apparently Everett T. Enstrom 'washed out' of pilot training during 'Primary' and was subsequently retrained as a navigator.
2Lt Enstrom is buried at Epinal Cemetery A-28-27.
The Fields of Honor Database file has yet to be completed with the new found info
The above photograph shows 'Lucky Strike' #42-31258 with another crew. (USAAF photograph).
373 Fighter Group / 411 Fighter Squadron
1st Lieutenant Francis N. O'HARA
From Fords, New Jersey
KIA 8th July 1944 as pilot of P-47D / #42-25680 / U9-?
Took off from Woodchurch airfield on an operational mission over France. Shot down by flak four miles north-west of Elbeuf-Seine. Lt O'Hara baled out and landed in the woods of La Londe - Saint Nicolas. He was wounded in the thigh by a rifle shot from an SS soldier and taken POW. Not receiving any medical care Lt O'Hara is reported to have died of wounds.
He is buried at Normandy Cemetery I-27-23.
In the above group photograph Lieutenant O'Hara is in the middle row of the standing officers, 3rd from right. (AAMIB / UPL 34705).
The USAAF Class Book Project has found two other photographs while Francis O'Hara was a cadet: class books 43-G and 43-GH, Moore Field Texas (Advanced Training).
52nd Fighter Group / 486 Fighter Squadron
2nd Lieutenant Donald J. MARKLE
From Dunellen, New Jersey.
KIA 10-6-1944 as pilot of P-51B / #43-6776 / PZ-'M' / MACR 5550.
Sortie: a sweep over northern France.
While strafing a truck the aircraft hit trees, flipped over on its back, crashed and exploded near Folligny, 14 miles east of Granville, France.
2Lt Markle is buried at Brittany Cemetery, J-12-20.
The above photograph was sourced from Advanced Pilot Training Class Book 43-I, Moore Field, Mission, Texas.
In the group photograph Lt Markle is pictured 2nd from right.
373 Fighter Group / 411 Fighter Squadron
1st Lieutenant Leonard J. GIBBONS
From Elizabeth, New Jersey
Missing in Action 20th July 1944 as pilot of P-47D / #42-25741 / U9-? / MACR 7168.
Sortie: dive bomb operation to Parthenay, France.
Took off from Woodchurch airfield. Lost in heavy overcast.
Last seen 15 miles west of Fecamp, France.
Lieutenant Gibbons is commemorated on the Cambridge Cemetery Walls of the Missing.
In the above group photograph Lieutenant Gibbons is in the first row of the standing officers, 3rd from left. (AAMIB / UPL 34705).
The USAAF Class Book Project has found two other photographs while Leonard J. Gibbons was a cadet: class books 43-G and 43-GH, Moore Field Texas (Advanced Training).
34th Bombardment Group / 4th Bombardment Squadron
1st Lieutenant Thomas J. HOGAN
From Valley Stream, New York
Missing in Action on 24th August 1944 as co-pilot of B-24J/ #44-40443 / Q6-'DD' / 'Jerks Berserks'.
Operational mission to Kiel, Germany. Hit by flak in #1 engine and wing over the target causing a gasoline leak. It was reported to have just 3 minutes of gas remaining and the pilot ordered the 9 crew members to bale out over the North Sea. The pilot pilot decided to fly on until the gas ran out. Eventually he reached England and baled out. The aircraft crashed into a house at Holt, Norfolk, UK.
A P-51 was circling the men that had left the ship and the pilot stated that all 9 men were in their dinghies and apparently were all alright. He also gave the Air-Sea Rescue their position which was approximately 534N-040E. Desite an Air Sea Rescue search these 9 men were lost at sea.
9 MIA / 1 Rtd. 1Lt Gallagher is commemorated on the Cambridge Cemetery Tablets of the Missing.
339 Fighter Group / 505 Fighter Squadron
2nd Lieutenant Arthur E. TONGUE Jr
From Detroit, Michigan
Killed on an operational mission on 6th August 1944 as pilot of P-51D / #44-13632.
Probably due to overcast and bad weather circumstances.
His element leader ordered to abort the mission.
Lt Tongue crashed near Haslingfield, Cambridgeshire, UK.
The USAAF Class Book Project has found two other photographs while Arthur E. Tongue was a cadet: class books 43-G and 43-GH, Moore Field Texas (Advanced Training).