Joe F Blair
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Standing, from left to right, Captain Dean Strain (Pilot), 1st Lt. Joe Blair (Co-Pilot), 1st Lt. Mike Delaney (Navigator) and 1st Lt. Franklin Roberts (Bombadier). The names of the other airmen on the plane that went down are John E. Turner (Engineer), William E. Neigh (Radio Operator), Arnold Jackson (Tail Gunner), John A. Hudson (Right Waist Gunner), and Theron S.Wimett (Left Waist Gunner). I am guessing those are the names of the guys kneeling, but I have know way of being sure.
Also on the plane were Captain Justus M. Schwenson, Command Pilot, 2nd Lt. David A. LePitre (Pilotage Navigator) and 1st Lt. Joseph E. Willoughby (Mickey Navigator).
The plane (-V 481) was leading the 14th Combat Wing on January 17th when it was knocked out by Flak during a mission over Hamburg/Harburg Germany. All of the crew members were killed. Some additional information and a picture of the officers can be found on page 158 of the "Ringmasters"
(Photo - Mike Delaney/Kevin Godar)
Kathryn Delaney Godar
Object Number - UPL 13601 - Captain Dean Strain Crew Standing, from left to right, Captain Dean Strain (Pilot), 1st Lt. Joe Blair (Co-Pilot), 1st Lt. Mike Delaney (Navigator)...
Killed in Action (KIA) at Meckelfeld (Harburg, Luneburg, Niedersachsen, Lower Saxony Germany) in B-24 #4251481
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
![An pathfinder B-24 Liberator of the 853rd Bomb Squadron, 491st Bomb Group goes down after a direct flak hit during a riad on Harburg, 17 January 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: '853rd BS, 491st BG, 17 Jan 1945. Harburg Refinery - Germany. Lead ship going down, pilot [illegible] strain.' Second handwritten on reverse: '17-1-45, 334.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-414610.jpg.webp?itok=UG_qr3_d)
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
17 January 1945 | ||
|
Born |
Exact dates not yet known | ||
|
Buried |
Plot B Row 31 Grave 12 |
Revisions
Map of Meckfeld, Germany: http://www.maplandia.com/germany/niedersachsen/luneburg/harburg/meckelf…
Brought in information from another duplicate record. Source:
MACR 11735 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
Brought in information from a duplicate entry. Source:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / WWW.491st.org roster
ABMC record: https://www.abmc.gov/node/543789#.VlhGdE1FCM8
Findagrave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56357159
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11735
