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2nd Lt Anthony A Alaimo 450BS, 322BG, 8AF, subsequently shot down to become POW #1514 and then post war Judge A A Alaimo.
Not officially having a middle name Anthony 'adopted' the A rather than enter NMI [No Middle Initial] on all USAAF paperwork !! The A later morphed to Alf !!!
Assigned to 450BS, 322BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) repeat raid to power station at Ijmuiden, Holland in B26 41-18086 'Draggin Lady'. Hit by flak on return ditched in North sea, co-pilot ejected from cockpit and sole survivor. Rescued by a German patrol boat and became a Prisoner of War (POW). 17-May-43. MACR 15129.
After several unsuccessful attempted escapes, he ultimately succeeded and was able to traverse a number of occupied areas to get to Italy then Switzerland and finally to allied lines.
Awards: PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Post war: Received a Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law in 1948 and entered the private practice of law in Atlanta, Georgia from 1948 to 1957, and in Brunswick, Georgia from 1957 to 1971. On 29-Nov-71, President Richard M. Nixon nominated Alaimo to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia created by 84 Stat. 294. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on 2-Dec-71, and received his commission on 9-Dec-71. He served as chief judge from 1976 to 1990, and assumed senior status on 1-Jul-91.
Service
People
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Military | First Lieutenant | Bomber pilot | 322nd Bomb Group
Assigned to 450BS, 322BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) repeat raid to power station at Ijmuiden, Holland in B26 41-18086 'Draggin Lady'. Hit by flak on return ditched in North sea, co-pilot ejected from cockpit and sole survivor. Killed in Action ...
Units served with
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Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
The 322nd Bombardment Squadron (Medium) was activated on 19-Jun-1942 at MacDill Field, Florida with B-26B Marauder aircraft. In late September 1942 the unit moved to Drane Field, Florida. The Ground echelon sailed for the UK aboard the Queen Elizabeth...
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Aircraft
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B-26 Marauder
Assigned to 450BS, 322BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) repeat raid to Ijmuiden, Holland. Hit by flak on return ditched in North sea, co-pilot ejected from cockpit and sole survivor. 1 x POW, 5 x KIA. 17-May-43. MACR 15129.
Associated Place
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Military site : airfield
The base was known as Great Saling when construction – by US Army engineers – began in 1942 but was renamed Andrews Field in honour of the memory of Gen. Frank M. Andrews, who was killed when the B-24 he was travelling in crash-landed in Iceland on 3...
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Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
90018 Termini Imerese PA, Italy |
29 March 1920 |
Son of Salvatore and Santa Rochetta [Granza] Alaimo.
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Lived in |
Chautauqua County, NY, USA |
1941 |
Enlisted |
Harrison Charter Township, MI 48045, USA |
15 January 1942 |
Selfridge Field
Mt Clemens
Michigan
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Based |
Andrews Field |
1943 – 17 May 1943 |
Assigned to 450BS, 322BG, 8AF USAAF.
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Ditched / Ejected form A/C |
Nth Sea off Haarlem, Netherlands |
17 May 1943 |
Failed to Return (FTR) repeat raid to power station at Ijmuiden, Holland in B26 41-18086 'Draggin Lady'. Hit by flak on return ditched in North sea, co-pilot ejected from cockpit and sole survivor. Rescued by a German patrol boat and became a POW. 17-May-43. MACR 15129.
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Prisoner of War (POW) |
Zagan, Poland |
17 May 1943 – 27 January 1945 |
Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft III.
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Escaped captivity |
Switzerland |
February 1944 – March 1945 |
Escaped Stalag Luft VIIa traversing a number of occupied areas to get to Italy then Switzerland and freedom.
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Prisoner of War (POW) |
Moosberg, 37170 Solling, Germany |
2 February 1945 – February 1945 |
Relocated to Stalag VIIa from where he managed to escape.
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Died |
Sea Island, Georgia, USA |
30 December 2009 |