Alvar B Platt
Military
It is believed that the positions are as follows.
Back Row L-R King, Robert Shaw (Regular Copilot not on the 1st of May flight), Rand, Sternglanz, Hatch.
Front Row L-R. Kuzoswski, Shumard, Farrar, Wawrzynek, Platt
Addition to Caption
Object Number - UPL 42994 - 41-24547 Vertigo and Crew. This is the crew that went down on the aircraft on the 1st of May 1943 but the only positively identified one is SSGT...
Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. One of 5 survivors to become Prisoner of War (POW)s, he was imprisoned at Stalag 17B.
On Alvar’s 17th mission, his plane was shot down over the English Channel. He and four other survivors floated in a dingy for 30 hours before being picked up by the Germans. He was hospitalized in Paris for a month, sent to Stalag 7A, and then to Stalag 17B where he remained until liberated two years later. (Written by wife, Leona)
Connections
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 94th Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron 332nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-398509
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot / C.O. of 94th , 332nd BS.
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35275693
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-725918
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16043311
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Bombardier / Togglier
Aircraft
Missions
Places
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Died |
Indio, California | 27 February 2017 | |
|
Born |
Ripon, California, USA | ||
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
France | 1 May 1943 |
Revisions
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3573 / MACR 3573, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop & Hey p. 112, NARA POW / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database