Thomas F Rice Jr

Military
media-31280.jpeg UPL 31280 Thomas F. Rice, Jr., 1st Lt. Thomas F Rice collection

Associated person record.

Object Number - UPL 31280 - Thomas F. Rice, Jr., 1st Lt.

First Lieutenant Thomas R. Rice, Jr., veteran navigator-bombardier of 30 missions over Europe and member of the Caterpillar Club, was born in Hartford, Connecticut on March 1, 1921.



Forced to "hit the silk" when flak gouged three of the four engines from their mountings, Lieutenant Rice parachuted to safety in France just over the border from Germany. The Liberator was hit on a return trip from a German mission shortly after it had crossed the Rhine which was then held by Nazi forces.



Rice enlisted in the Army Air Corps in July 1942 after attending Trinity College for two years. He was a commissioned a second lieutenant in Texas in March, 1943 and went overseas in April 1944. A member of a lead crew in a B-24 group with the 8th Air Force, he was promoted to his present rank while based in France.



Lieutenant Rice, a graduate of Bulkeley High School, wears the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Presidential Citation. He participated in bombing attacks over Normandy on D-Day and later flew against the enemy during the "Belgian Bulge" days.

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
A Swedish Soldier guards a B-24 Liberator (serial number 44-40159) nicknamed "Boulder Buff" of the 492nd Bomb Group that has landed in Sweden.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
A B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-95260) nicknamed "Lili Marlene" of the 66th Bomb Squadron, 44th Bomb Group flies in formation with two comrades. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'B-24 H & B-24 J OF 44th B.G. 66th Sqdn'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Missions

  • Date: 15 March 1945
  • Date: 16 January 1945
B-17s of the 398th Bomb Group bombing the railyard at Bingen, 29 December 1944. Printed caption on reverse: '57548 AC- With bomb bay doors open, the first of a large formation of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses send their bombs plummeting earthwards on rail installations at Bingen, Germany, as heavy bombers of US Eighth Air Force press home their attack of December 29, 1944. US Air Force Photo.'
  • Date: 29 December 1944
  • Date: 25 September 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Hartford, CT, USA 1 March 1921

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Corrected a typo in the middle name.

Date
Contributorluannerice
Changes
Sources

Hartford Courant, May 1945, via L. Rice

Date
Contributorluannerice
Changes
Sources

daughter

Date
Contributorluannerice
Changes
Sources

Daughter

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes

Thomas F Rice: Gallery (1 items)