Edward G Minton
MilitaryHe was inducted into the Army Air Corps August 20, 1943 at San Francisco, California. Served as a B-17 ‘Flying Fortress’ Bomber Togglier ‘Bombardier’/Nose gunner. Assigned to the 349th Bomb Squadron, 100th ‘Bloody Hundredth’ Bomb Group 13th Bomb Wing, U.S. 8th Air Force ‘Mighty Eighth’. His unit was based at the Thorpe Abbots Royal Air Force Airfield England, United States Army airfield statIon #139.
On Monday, September 11, 1944 he was shot down during a bombing raid on the Ruhland Synthetic OilL Refinery, Ruhland-Schwarzheide, Germany. His Flying Fortress went down when it was attacked by a large formation of German fighters and crashed in the vicinity of Schmiedeberg, Germany. There were 9 crewmen on board, 5 perished in the disaster and the other 4 parachuted to safety. The encounter between the American and German air forces, Later known as ‘Black Monday’ took place around midday. It was one of the largest air battles fought over the Ore Mountains in the European Theater. After bailing out of the crippled bomber, he was captured by the German armed forces and transferred to a German hospital for medical care from injuries suffered in the air battle. It was officially reported by the German Government that he died Tuesday, March 20, 1945 from his injuries.
He is buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery located at St. Avold (Moselle), France.
Connections
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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
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Mud in yer eye
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 349th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 11 September 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
San Francisco, CA, USA | 6 January 1918 | The oldest of five children born to Walter and Tillie Minton. |
Enlisted |
San Francisco, CA, USA | 20 August 1943 | |
Based Killed in Action (KIA) |
Thorpe Abbotts | 10 July 1944 - 11 September 1944 | Togglier (Bombardier)/Nose gunner assigned to 349th Bomb Squadron, 100th Bomb Group (Heavy), 13th Bomb Wing, 8th Air Force. |
Other Shot Down on Ruhland Mission |
Kovářská, Czech Republic | 11 September 1944 | His B-17G Flying Fortress (42-97834) "Mud In Yer Eye" was attacked on 11-9-1944 by German fighters and during bail out he separated his spine that left him paralyzed from the waist down. |
Died |
Bílina, Czech Republic | 20 March 1945 | Died of complications due to separated spine at German POW hospital. |
Revisions
Made the "Summary biography" more readable by correcting the case of the wording.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 8819 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database