389 BG / 566 BS
1LT Robert W. BONNAR
From Redondo Beach, California.
 
KIA 3rd February 1945 as pilot of B-24J / #42-50551 / 'Delectable Doris' / MACR 12370.
Target: Magdeburg, Germany. The aircraft was seen to explode, receiving a hit in the pilot compartment.
Crashed near Ohlendorf, Germany.
 
Source of the portrait photograph: Pilot Class Book 44-B, Bruce Field, Texas (Primary Training).
 

The nose art photograph is courtesy of AAMIB/IWM Freeman collection FRE 6479.

The Pilot Class Book Project has now found all three photographs of Robert Bonnar's Pilot Training: 44-B Bruce Field Primary Training (in the header of this post), 44-B Goodfellow Field Basic Training (above left) and 44-B Lubbock Advanced Training (above right). 

448 BG / 715 BS

2Lt Joe P. BOWERS

From Carlsbad, New Mexico.

 

KIA 21st November 1944 as pilot of B-24H / #41-28925 / 'Little Joe' / MACR 10407.

Target: Hamburg, Germany. Hit by flak and subsequently attacked by Me-262's. Crashed near Ruegen Island, Germany. 8 KIA / 1 POW.

2Lt Bowers is buried at Ardennes Cemetery, C-19-11.

Also see https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-ardennes-b/54067-bowers-joe-p 

The Pilot Class Book Project has now found all three photographs of Joe Bowers' Pilot Training: 44-B Bruce Field Primary Training (in the header of this post), 44-B Goodfellow Field Basic Training (above left) and 44-B Lubbock Advanced Training (above right). 

362 FG / 377 FS

1Lt Archie E. BILLINGS 

From Edinboro, Pennsylvania.

 

KIA 13-2-1945 as pilot of P-47D / #44-20450 / E4-? / 'Lady Jane' / MACR 12307.

Hit by flak while on a close support mission in the Trier/Echternach/Bitburg area. Crashed near Holsthum (Germany), 5-10 miles north of Echternach (Luxembourg). KIA.

 

1Lt Billings is buried at Luxembourg Cemetery, D-5-23. Also see

https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-luxembourg-b/83859-billings-archie-e-lux-d-5-23 

The above photograph was sourced from the 362nd Fighter Group Facebook page. 

The Pilot Class Book Project has now found all three photographs of Archie Billings' Pilot Training: 44-B Bruce Field Primary Training (in the header of this post), 44-B Goodfellow Field Basic Training (above left) and 44-B Moore Field Advanced Training (above right). 

82 FG / 95 FS

1Lt Wilbur R. BROOKMAN

From Benicia, California.

 

KIA 26th March 1945 as pilot of P-38L / #44-25759 / MACR 13070.

Sortie: high-level bombing and strafing in the Varazdin area, Yugoslavia. Hit by flak while strafing a locomotive.

Crashed near Pragersko, Yugoslavia.

1Lt Brookman is buried at Lorraine Cemetery, E-7-15. Also see

https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-lorraine-b/73746-brookman-wilburn-r-lor-e-7-16 

The Pilot Class Book Project has now found all three photographs of Wilbur Brookmans' Pilot Training: 44-B Bruce Field Primary Training (in the header of this post), 44-B Goodfellow Field Basic Training (above left) and 44-B Moore Field Advanced Training (above right). 

100 BG / 350 BS 

2Lt John E. BAXTER Jr

From Chariton, Iowa.

 

MIA 28th July 1944 as co-pilot of B-17G / #42-97621 / LN-'A' / MACR 8173.

Target: the Merseburg/Leuna oil refinery, Germany. During the return flight over the North Sea aircraft #42-32009 pulled up and struck #42-97621 with its vertical stabilizer. '621' dove straight down into the North Sea, 26 miles east of Lowestoft, Suffolk, UK. 9 MIA.

Aircraft 42--32009 returned to base safely.

2Lt Baxter is commemorated on the Cambridge Cemetery Tablets of the Missing.

The Pilot Class Book Project has now found all three photographs of John Baxter's Pilot Training: 44-B Bruce Field Primary Training (in the header of this post), 44-B Goodfellow Field Basic Training (above left) and 44-B Blackland Advanced Training (above right).