Donald Robert Girard
MilitaryOn a mission to Berlin on 4 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-39991 was crippled by ME109s and after the rest of the crew baled out, the 2 pilots and the radio operator made an emergency landing SW of St Pol, France.
Girard was picked up by the French resistance, who tried to get him back to the UK. Unfortunately he was later captured by the Germans whilst trying to escape through Spain. He talked of the brave members of the resistance who tried to get him out, some losing their lives in doing so.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-676530
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-533026
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37451120
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Look Homeward Angel
- Unit: 546th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 4 March 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Grafton Undermud
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Bristol, CT 06010, USA | 3 November 1917 | |
|
Other Assigned |
Grafton Underwood NN14, UK | 11 September 1943 | Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group, 544th Bombardment Squadron on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #93 dated 11 September 1943, Walter Richard Carpenter Crew. 18 combat missions. |
|
Other Evaded (EVD) |
62130 Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, France | 4 March 1944 - 14 May 1944 | Evaded from 4 March 1944 until 14 May 1944. Admitted to Interrogation Center, Oberusel, Germanyl at 0200 AM, 14 May 1944. MACR 2741 |
|
Other Prisoner of War |
Germany | 14 May 1944 | POW Camp: Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16 |
Revisions
Brought in information from duplicate record. Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2741, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=5634:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=…