Marvin Wright Garber

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-31412.jpeg UPL 31412 Marvin W Garber

Photo from my Genealogy file on Ancestry.com

Object Number - UPL 31412 - Marvin W Garber

Shot down on his 10th mission by fighters on the return from a mission to the Marshalling Yards at Frankfurt on 4 Feb 1944 in B-24H #42-7542 'Black Widow'. Plane crashed SE of Albert, FR. MACR #2248. KIA.

NOTE: "Black Widow" #42-7542 was a stand-in for the damaged "Sad Sack" #41-29147, which had been commanded by Lt. Garber. "Sad Sack" crew was assigned to "Black Widow," a sister ship from 707 squadron. Sad Sack had been damaged when landing gear collapsed during a non-combat flight on 28 Jan 44, and was later declared beyond repair.

Comment in MACR 2248 about Lt Marvin Garber:

“Pilot was keeping Aircraft up for crew to bail out.”

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

A flight of B-24 Liberators of the 446th Bomb Group fly in formation above the clouds.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 707th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20726744 originally, then O-731007
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 707th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32258282 / O-752481
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot / Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 707th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14073575
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 707th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16050364 / O-684735
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 707th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32228136
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Sad Sack
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 66th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Black Widow
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 707th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Aerial photograph of Bungay (Flixton) airfield, looking south, the technical site- with T2 hangar- and control tower are to the right, where the main airfield gate is also situated, 16 October 1945. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/930. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Flixton

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Estherville, Iowa, USA 15 March 1921

Enlisted

Lafayette, IN, USA 8 April 1942

Died

France 4 February 1944

Buried

Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery 8 September 1949 PLOT Section 82, Site 111

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

France 4 February 1944

Revisions

Date
ContributorScotsman
Changes
Sources

Correspondence with Ray Bowden of the USAAF Nose Art Research Project, and also from an account of the 4 Jan 44 mission in Jansen's History of the 446th Bomb Group.

Date
ContributorScotsman
Changes
Sources

Noting that Sad Sack was damaged in landing on 29 Jan 44 which would have likely resulted in replacement by Black Widow for mission on 4 Feb 44.

Date
ContributorScotsman
Changes
Sources

Acknowledgment that there is some uncertainty as to whether the actual aircraft show down was Sad Sack or Black Widow, The crew was photographed with the Sad Sack but ship misidentified on 446 BG webpage as Black Widow. MACR reports the aircraft under Lt Garber's command shot down was Black Widow and tail number correct. Most parsimonious explanation is that Sad Sack crew in entirety transferred to Black Widow which was a newer aircraft, prior to mission.

Date
ContributorScotsman
Changes
Sources

Previously mentioned crew photograph where crew correctly identified. My uncle, Francis Stewart, was a member of Lt. Garber's Crew, but the aircraft was Sad Sack, not Black Widow.

Date
ContributorScotsman
Changes
Sources

Photograph of aircraft clearly identifiable as Sad Sack, but mislabeled as Black Widow. I am convinced that Lt. Garber was pilot of the Sad Sack when shot down 4 Feb 44.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added MACR 2248 information to the "Summary biography".

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added the MACR #2248 to the "Summary biography" per info on Fold3 website.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a connection to an 8th AF mission.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Changed S/N to eliminate extra wording.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added connections to all of Marvin Garber's crew.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added burial plot info per Find-a-grave MEMORIAL #37332251.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Adedd officer S/N from recods for "WWII Army Casualties: Indiana" at the National Archives.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a connection to 8th AF.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Deleted duplicate "Enlisted" entry.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Associated Marvin's burial to the correct cemetery entry.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Accociated the location of the Air Base in Elngland with Marvin.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Associated my photo uploaded from Ancestry.com.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Mission data was found on fold3 website.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

World War II Enlistment records

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Find-A-Grave memorial # 37332251 and WW II Enlistment records.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Find-A-Grave memorial #37332251

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2248 / MACR 2248, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces; The History of the 446th Bomb Group, pg 50 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Marvin Wright Garber: Gallery (1 items)