Herve Arthur Leroux
MilitaryBTG, Zeman crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 5 January 1944 in B-17 #42-30676 'Baby Dumpling'. Mission #57 to the airfield at Tours, France. Hit by an air to air rocket. MACR 1962. Evaded. Escape & Evasion Report E&E. Sgt Leroux bailed out and was injured as he landed, spraining his leg. He spoke French which became extremely useful and shocked the civilians he came in contact with. At one point a German officer stopped him on the road to ask directions to which Sgt Leroux was able to reply in French. He evaded without the assistance of any organized Resistance or Underground group. Only the generosity of multiple civilians who put themselves at great risk.
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-811523
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34700544
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 15377732
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32489361
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39406766
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Baby Dumpling, Danny Dumpling
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 5 January 1944
- Date: 4 January 1944
- Date: 31 December 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Hebronville, Massachusetts, USA | 13 June 1921 | |
|
Enlisted |
14 October 1942 | in Boston, Massachusetts - as a Private in the Air Corps | |
|
Other Bailed out |
5 January 1944 | of B-17 42-30676 North-West of Tours, France and landed near La Lude in the Sarthe Department, France | |
|
Other Evaded capture |
5 January 1944 - 21 March 1944 | Made his way South alone through France without the help of any organization. Reached Spain on 24 January 1944, arrived in Gibraltar 21 March and was flown back from there on 22 March, landing the next day in Bristol, UK. | |
|
Died |
26 March 2006 | ||
| Hebronville, Massachusetts | |||
|
Buried |
Herve Leroux rests at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter, Rhode Island |
Revisions
Corrected first name, added middle name
NARA WWII Enlistment records
Escape & Evasion Report E&E 504
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia;
- www.381st.org/UnitHistory/Data/Roster.aspx
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1962 / MACR 1962, 8th AF Losses / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database