David W Sala
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
The crew of 2nd Lt Daniel C. Smoke Jr outside the mess hall at Hunter Army Air Field, near Savannah, Georgia. The crew completed B-17 operational training at Biloxi, Mississippi, and was sent to Hunter Field to pick up a new B-17 for the deployment flight to England.
Back row (L to R): Sgt John White Jr (engineer), Sgt Harold J. Stone (radio operator), Sgt Richard E. Burres (tail gunner), Sgt Elmer E. Koepsell (waist gunner), Sgt David W. Sala (ball turret gunner)
Front row (L to R): 2nd Lt Daniel C. Smoke Jr (pilot), F/O George H. Pendarvis (copilot), F/O Gunnar K. Olsen (navigator), 2nd Lt John H. Strong (bombardier)
These men all perished in B-17G 43-38038 in a midair collision with 43-37969 over France on March 19, 1945.
Object Number - UPL 55503 - Smoke Crew - 838th Squadron, 487th Bomb Group The crew of 2nd Lt Daniel C. Smoke Jr outside the mess hall at Hunter Army Air Field, near Savannah,...
Killed in Action (KIA). B-17G 43-38038 'Flying Chapel'. Mid-air collision over France.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Flying Chapel
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 838th Bomb Squadron
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Died |
19 March 1945 | ||
|
Born |
Illinois |
Revisions
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources
Combat Chronology, Unit Roll of Honor / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia