Andrew Thomas Fabiny

Military
media-14894.jpeg UPL 14894 B-24 Liberator #42-40778 'Southern Comfort' flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid returning safely to Libya. Lost on 16 Aug 1943 mission to the airfields at Foggia, Italy. Several of the crewman taken POW escaped. A/C Crashed in a field near Potenza. 2 KIA 7 POW. No MACR.

Object Number - UPL 14894 - B-24 Liberator #42-40778 'Southern Comfort' flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid returning safely to Libya. Lost on 16 Aug 1943 mission to...

Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1 August 1943, flying B-24 Liberator #42-40778.



Austin’s crew was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the 1 Aug 1943 low-level raid under G.O. #90, Hqrs. Ninth Air Force, Sept. 16, 1943, yet for some unknown reason, amendments revoked the DFC, then awarded the DFC for the raid under GO #150, Hq. 9th Air Force, December 30, 1943. There was some confusion as to whether the DFCs were a basic award or an Oak Leaf Cluster on G.O. #90, so this drove the amendments and some of their award cards are different.



On August 16, 1943, was shot down in 'Southern Comfort' #42-40778 on a mission to Foggia, IT while temporarily assigned to the 9th AAC. The plane caught fire and pilot Austin had to give the bail out order. 8 crew members became Prisoner of War (POW)s and 2 were Killed in Action (KIA).

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13020171 / O-793711
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron 68th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36008454 / O-733298
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14068817 / 0-795238
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 06294273
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38097871
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Southern Comfort
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Rock Springs, Wyoming 31 May 1920 Rock Springs, Sweetwater County, Wyoming

Enlisted

24 March 1942 Seattle, Washington

Died

14 February 1983 Fontana, San Bernardino County, California

Buried

Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside County, California

Revisions

Date
Contributordecwriter
Changes
Sources

NARA files verified DFC and AM and he earned the ACM based on entry date and the EAME Campaign Medal with at least one bronze service star. Added bio data.

No PH Card is listed in NARA, although his Find a Grave entry mentions it.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3808287/andrew-t-fabiny

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial numbers in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

'Ploesti' by Dugan & Stewart, 44th Bomb Group Roll of Honor and Casualties by Will Lundy pp. 114-6 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Andrew Thomas Fabiny: Gallery (1 items)