Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. 24 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Shot down by fighters, remained with A/C as crew baled out, following them at extreme low level. Seemingly he didn't get his chute attached, let alone opened, before he plunged into the canopy of a tree, breaking many bones, including his back !! Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
Awards: AM, LOM, PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Service
People
-
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Shot down by fighters, baled out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
-
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Shot down by fighters, baled out at low level. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
Awards: AM(OLC), POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
-
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Volunteered to crew on 67BS A/C. Shot down by fighters, baled out at low level. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
...
-
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Left his plane for paperwork and was killed by spinning propellor. His plane was B-24 41-29231 'The Impatient Virgin' piloted by George Thom. Died non Battle (DNB).
Awards: PH.
-
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Shot down by fighters, baled out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
-
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Shot down by fighters, baled out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
-
Military | Staff Sergeant | Flight Engineer, Top Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Hit by flak on mission to V-1 sites at Agathe d' Aliermont, FR on 21 Jan 1944 in B-24J 42-99970 'Liberty Belle'. A/C returned to England but crashed upon landing at Wingham, Kent. MACR 8714
...
-
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Shot down by fighters, baled out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
-
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Shot down by fighters, baled out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
-
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Shot down by fighters, baled out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Show more
Units served with
-
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
...
-
Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
-
Aircraft
-
B-24 Liberator
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44; Shot down by fighters, crew baled out at low level. 10 x POW. MACR 3849
...
-
B-24 Liberator
Transferred to 389th Bomb Group, then to 448th Bomb Group, 714th Bomb Squadron.
On 25 Feb 1944, B-24H #41-29231 'Impatient Virgin' crash landed at RAF Lympne, Kent on return from target Furth, GR.
Associated Place
-
Military site : airfield
Shipdham was built in 1941-1942, the first US heavy bomber airfield in the English county of Norfolk. It was a standard design, with T2-type hangars and a domestic site dispersed to the south east. Improvements were carried out to increase the number...
-
-
-
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
Paris, WI |
5 May 1921 |
Son of Jacob Anthony and Lillian [Ludwig], born Maier Thom.
|
Lived in |
Burlington, WI |
1942 |
Enlisted |
Milwaukee, WI |
30 March 1942 |
Based |
Shipdham |
1944 – 8 April 1944 |
Assigned to 67BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF.
|
Baled Out POW |
Hanover, Germany |
8 April 1944 |
Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick mission 8-Apr-44 in B-24 42-7767 'Shack Rabbit'; Shot down by fighters, remained with A/C as crew baled out, following them at low level. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3849
|
Prisoner of War (POW) |
Barth, Germany |
8 April 1944 – May 1945 |
Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.
|
Discharged USAAF |
|
31 August 1972 |
Honourable discharge.
|
Died |
Sumter, SC |
12 July 2001 |
Buried |
Arlington National Cemetery |
August 2001 |
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington,
Arlington County, VA
Section: 8-M Row 17, Site: 2
|