David Gee Chang

Military

David Chang had 4 years of High School behind him and, unlike older brothers and sisters, was still a Chinese citizen when he enlisted in the Air Corps in October 1942. After completing aerial gunnery training, he was sent overseas and was assigned to the 94th Bomb Group / 332nd Bomb Squadron in England. Serving as a Tail Gunner, David Chang was a substitute for Pilot Blake’s regular Tail Gunner on the 4 March 1944 mission to Berlin. He had to bail out of B-17 # 42-39801 that day, his legs and feet frozen at altitude. He was arrested the day after the crash and sent to Germany. Interned at Stalag Luft 4 in Tychowo/Gross Tychow (Poland), he was liberated in May 1945. Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

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Units served with

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33353745
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14178045
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Aircraft

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Oakland, Alameda County, California, United States 7 March 1923 the son of Charles and Wong Shu Chang

Enlisted

San Francisco, California, United States 26 October 1942 as a Private in the Air Corps

Other

Bailed out

4 March 1944 of B-17 # 42-39801

Other

Landed in parachute

near Menin, Belgium 4 March 1944

Other

arrested

Wervik, Belgium 5 March 1944 by Germans at 07:30 am in Wervik, Belgium

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Tychowo, Poland 5 March 1944 Interned at Stalag Luft 4 in Tychowo / Gross Tychow. NARA WWII POW records : “Returned to Allied Military control 8 June 1945.”

Died

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 5 February 2005
San Francisco, California, United States

Buried

Palm Memorial Park, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 2978
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records
SSDI (Social Security Death Index)

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2978 / MACR 2978, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database