Donald Francis Mecum

Military

Shot down by ME109s and crashed W of Meppen, GR on the return from a mission to Klein Machow, Berlin on 6 Mar 1944 in B-17G #42-31194 'Duchess of Dixie'. Prisoner of War (POW).

Clarence Gridley Crew. Flew one mission as a replacement on the Lowell Watts Crew.

POW

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 388th Bomb Group.

388th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Clarence Asbury Gridley

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-800876
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Lowell Hoyt Watts

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-742396
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30177) nicknamed "Charlene". Printed caption on reverse: '61552 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Charlene". England. 30 August 1943. Standing left to right are: 2nd Lt John N Harlan, Boise, Idaho; 1st Lt Charles Bliss, Los Angeles, California; 2nd Lt Vernon D Dunkin, Columbus, Ohio; 2nd Lt Bernard J Quenneville, Hadley, Mass. Kneeling left to right: S/Sgt Ro

42-30177

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Charlene
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 36th Bomb Squadron 562nd Bomb Squadron 803rd Bomb Squadron
The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "The Princess Pat" of the 388th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '388th BG.'

42-30829

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Princess Pat
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron

42-31194

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Duchess of Dixie
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron

42-37886

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Blitzing Betsy
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron

Places

Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.

Stalag Luft I

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Portland, Oregon, USA 28 August 1918

Enlisted

Portland, OR 16 September 1940

Other

POW

Barth, Germany 15 March 1944 Stalag Luft I

Other

Shot Down

Schoeningsdorf, Germany 3 June 1944

Died

Multnomah County, OR 1 November 1999

Buried

Happy Valley, OR 4 November 1999 Gethsemani Catholic Cemetery Happy Valley, Clackamas County, Oregon, USA

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=1788&h=3022090…
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=8939&h=7590015…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/140505694

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3034, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / MACR 3084 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database