Alan Winfield Keenen

Military
media-17156.jpeg UPL 17156 Lt. Laurence R. Lofgren Crew c. 1944 Pueblo, CO
Standing Back Row L to R: F/O James Froula; Lt. Merlin Gaudet; Lt. Laurence Lofgren; Lt. George Sankey
Middle Row L to R: T/Sgt. William Clifton; S/Sgt. Alan W. Keenen; S/Sgt. Kenneth "Joe" Stalder
Sitting Front Row L to R: S/Sgt. Thomas Davis; S/Sgt. Robert Martinec; T/Sgt. Melvin Solomon

Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.)

Object Number - UPL 17156 - Lt. Laurence R. Lofgren Crew c. 1944 Pueblo, CO Standing Back Row L to R: F/O James Froula; Lt. Merlin Gaudet; Lt. Laurence Lofgren; Lt. George...

Lone survivor of B-24 'Queen of Angels' #42-50735. Sustaining burns from the on-board fire, Alan bailed out of the burning aircraft at an altitude of 100-150 ft. He broke his ankle upon landing. He was immediately captured by the Germans and was a POW for the remainder of the war. He was liberated and repatriated. Honorable Discharge 8 Nov 1945.

Connections

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Units served with

A flight of B-24 Liberators of the 446th Bomb Group fly in formation above the clouds.

446th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Earle Cassius Cheek

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 704th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

William J Clifton

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 704th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner/Engineer

Thomas R Davis

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Merlin Philip Gaudet

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 704th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: ASN 32450241 (enlisted); O-2059148 (officer)
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Fredrick W Jacobs

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 704th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14202685
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Aircraft

42-50735

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Queen of Angels
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 704th Bomb Squadron

Places

Aerial photograph of Bungay (Flixton) airfield, looking south, the technical site- with T2 hangar- and control tower are to the right, where the main airfield gate is also situated, 16 October 1945. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/930. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Bungay

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Flixton
Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.

Stalag Luft I

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Kennett Square, PA, USA 17 January 1926 Only child of Charles Winfield Keenen and Anna Florence (nee Gray) Keenen. Alan lost both his parents by 1941 when he was 15 years old.

Other

Returned (RTD)

Germany 24 March 1945 - 8 May 1945 Captured by the Germans. Served out the rest of the war as a POW at Stalag Luft One in Barth, Germany. POW camp was liberated by Russian troops on 1 May 1945.

Revisions

Date5 Aug 2015 14:27:25
Contributorgwap53
ChangesChanges to place associations
Sources

Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.)

Date5 Aug 2015 03:14:12
Contributorgwap53
ChangesChanges to biography, events, person associations and place associations
Sources

Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.)

Date5 Aug 2015 03:00:38
Contributorgwap53
ChangesChanges to role
Sources

Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.)

Date5 Aug 2015 02:59:10
Contributorgwap53
ChangesChanges to service number
Sources

Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.)

Date5 Aug 2015 02:57:21
Contributorgwap53
ChangesChanges to middlename, nickname and awards
Sources

Alan Winfield Keenen and his daughter, Betsy Keenen Walker

Date27 Sep 2014 18:02:57
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 14181 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Alan Winfield Keenen: Gallery (2 items)