ANTHONY LOUIS DESTRO, 2LT , U.S.A.A.F. B-24 Bombardier on #42-7554 "Tail End Charlie" KIA = 23 DEC 1943

445TH Bombardment Group (Heavy) Original artwork did not have tail markings, Those were added by the 445th's unit historian - Mike Simpson

2LT Anthony L Destro - Bombardier (left ) & 2LT Erwin J. Bevins (right) - Pilot. At training in Sioux City, Iowa 1943 8th AF ~ 445th BG ~ 702nd BS

1LT John H. Allen of 445th BG - 702nd BS - some of his aircrew/squadron members.

Remains of American B-24 ~ #42-7554 “Tail End Charlie” ~ crashed into the cemetery in Mirns, Netherlands 22 DEC 1943 The story behind this ‘tea spoon holder’ is remarkable. In 2011 Alexander Tuinhout & Douwe Drijver of the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation (S.M.A.M.F.) traveled to New Zealand. They visited some Dutch Frisian emigrants who had moved to New Zealand in the 1950s. In New Zealand, 20.000 km. (12, 430 miles) from their home (the Netherlands/Holland), they visited an elderly lady from Friesland. She told them that she came from the village of Mirns. She was asked her if she remembered the crash of an American bomber in her childhood and she said yes she did. She went into another room and took this little spoon-holder out of a closet. She told them that it is made from the aluminum of the American B-24 that crashed into the cemetery in Mirns.

2LT Erwin James Bevins, B-24 Pilot of 445th BG, 702nd BS stationed at Tibenham Airfield, NOV 1943. Survived the crash of his B-24, #42-7554 "Tail End Charlie", and evaded capture in the Netherlands for 473 days. This is his post war interrogation/debrief report to Army. http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-2946.pdf http://www.teunispats.net/t3256.htm http://www.heritageleague.org/brian/54.pdf

vintage 8th Air Force uniform patch

TO: 2Lt Anthony L. Destro, Bombardier on B-24 , #42-7554 , 445th Bomb Group, 702nd Bomb Squadron, stationed at RAF Tibenham KIA: 22 DEC 1943, Mirns, Friesland, the Netherlands SIGNED BY: President Franklin D Roosevelt

Tribute created for: 2Lt Anthony L. Destro, Bombardier on B-24 #42-7554 , 445th BG, 702nd BS , KIA 22 DEC 1943, Mirns, Friesland, the Netherlands. Tribute display contains: Destro's grave marker, photo of crash site area, his Purple Heart & certificate, original uniform jacket, gloves, eye goggles, dog tag & name tag and US flag presented to his parents. Tribute / Display Created by: Anthony L. Destro II

On US Veterans Day, 11 NOV 2015 a commemoration & memorial ceremony was held at the crash site for the crew of: US B-24 #42-7554, 445th BG , 702nd BS at the crash site in Mirns, Friesland, the Netherlands On 22 DEC 1943, 7 of the 10 crew perished on that day. Piloted by 1Lt John H. Allen (KIA). There is a significant amount of information from this event. This is a direct web link to the photos of the event: https://www.flickr.com/photos/b-24_liberator_42-7554/albums YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVpI3Tf-GWc