William Jackson Hays

Military

media-37257.jpeg UPL 37257 John D. Crouchley Crew
485th BG - 828th BS

Standing L to R: Ralph F. Perillo (G), Thomas A. Langstaff (TG), Edward G. Johnson (BTG), Eugene A. Lascotte (NG), Donald R. Turner (FE), William J. Van Meer (RO)

Kneeling Left to Right: John D. Crouchley (P), Allen G. Meister (B), Forrest J. Leveille (N), William J. Hays (CP)

This crew was shot down on 28 June 1944. Crouchley was KIA. The rest of the crew (minus Meister) survived and were made POW. Meister had been made squadron bombardier days before and was not aboard when this crew was shot down.

Crew association.

Object Number - UPL 37257 - John D. Crouchley Crew 485th BG - 828th BS Standing L to R: Ralph F. Perillo (G), Thomas A. Langstaff (TG), Edward G. Johnson (BTG), Eugene A....

Assigned to 828BS, 485BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Bucharest, Romania in B-24 42-52701 28-Jun-44; Shot down by E/A, baled out Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 6820/8339

Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

485th Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

828th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

John Dudley Crouchley

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 485th Bomb Group 828th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 11063665 / O-802172
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-52701

Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
Nicknames: Miss Yankee Rebel
Unit: 485th Bomb Group 828th Bomb Squadron

Places

Venosa

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	Hayston, GA	23 November 1923	Son of Ernest McElroy and Eunice Olivia Hays.
Enlisted	Fort McPherson, Atlanta, GA	20 July 1943	Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia
Other Baled out POW	Plovdiv, Bulgaria	28 June 1944	Failed to Return (FTR) Bucharest, Romania in B-24 42-52701 28-Jun-44; Shot down by E/A, baled out POW MACR 6820/8339
Other Prisoner of War (POW)	Shumen, Bulgaria	28 June 1944	Prisoner of War (POW). Shumen, Bulgaria.
Other Married	High Shoals, GA	23 November 1944	Married Carolyn Lavinia Ross.
Died	Covington GA	9 August 2002
Buried	Hays Family Cemetery Newton County, GA	11 August 2002	Hays Family Cemetery Newton County, GA
Based	Venosa	28 June 1944	Assigned to 828BS, 485BG, 15AF USAAF.