Calvin Clark Davis
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
From the Davis family collection, courtesy of Dr Shelley Murphy
Object Number - UPL 60225 - Technical Sergeant Calvin Clark Davis being interviewed by the BBC for The American Eagle in Britain at the American Red Cross club at Rainbow Corner...
Davis was of mixed-race heritage, descended from the first African American family to setting in Benzie county, where he was born in 1912. Davis had light skin, which enabled him to identify as white when he enlisted into the US Army Air Forces in May 1941, he was therefore considered eligible for combat, despite his Black ancestry.
After training as a waist gunner Davis was assigned to the 40th Bomb Squadron, 90th Bomb Group, where he complete a 50 combat mission tour in the Asia/Pacific theatre of operations. Davis being wounded on both his first and last missions.
Davis' length of service made him eligible for a non-operational posting, but his instead chose to do an additional tour in the European theatre of operations. He was assigned to the 570th Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group and completed 12 combat missions
Davis was killed in B-17 42-97407 'Asterisk' on 30 November 1944 on a mission over Merseberg during amid air collision with B-17 44-8080
Awards: DFC (2OLC), AM (OLC), PH (OLC), Good Conduct, American campaign , WWII Victory, EAME and AP theatre ribbons. Recommended for SS and MOH.
* - Cologne 15-Oct-44, Cologne 16-Oct-44, Kassel, Hamm, Weisbaden, Langerwehe, Saarbrucken, Geisen, Merseburg [Recalled], Saarbrucken, Mannheim, Merseburg 30-Nov-44.
(The above being all the more remarkable as he was of African/American lineage, seemingly his light skin colour meant he was never asked his race and even fellow squadron/crewmates had no idea of his families origins. At this time in the war, he would not have made aircrew if his background had been known by the authorities.)
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
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: 390th Bomb Group 570th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19117070 / O-768655
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft

- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: - The As-Te-Risk
- Unit: 1st Strategic Air Depot 390th Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 412th Bomb Squadron 570th Bomb Squadron
Places

- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Ardennes American Cemetery, Liege, Belgium
![A bomber crew of the 390th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-31027) nicknamed "Honey Chile" and their dog and monkey mascots "Scrappy" and "Joe". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Fox.’ [stamp], ‘passed for publication 25 Oct 1943.’ [stamp] and ‘289774.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: ‘AERIAL MASCOTS OF FORTRESS CREWS. PH/MoN. As frisky and friendly a pair of aerial mascots as you'll find in Britain are "Scrappy" and "Joe", pup and monkey team belonging to the](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/max_650x650/public/freeman/media-380433.jpg?itok=OrUFNu9A)
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Parham

- Site type: Military site
- Known as: American Red Cross Club
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Bear Lake, Manistee County, MI | 2 September 1912 | Son of Horrace Burr and Hattie Alice (Lee) Davis. Raised along with his brothers Ferman and Floyd by his older sister Bessie Davis, when his mother died in 1919. |
Enlisted |
Detroit, MI | 15 May 1941 | |
Died |
Flur Oberkotzau, Germany | 30 November 1944 | Failed to Return (FTR) Merseburg in B-17 42-97407 'Asterisk' 30-Nov-44; mid air collision with 44-8080. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 11136 |
Buried |
Re-Interred Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial Plot D Row 10 Grave 29 | ||
Based Killed in Action (KIA) |
Framlingham | 30 November 1944 | Assigned to 570BS, 390BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Other Based |
New Guinea | Assigned to 400BS, 90BG, 5AF USAAF. | |
Other Next of Kin |
Flint, MI | [Brother] Alvin J Davis. |
Revisions
Associated media and updated biography based on information researched by Dr Shelley Murphy and published on their blog in 2014
https://www.fold3.com/image/30642068
https://www.fold3.com/record/84341496-calvin-c-davis
https://www.fold3.com/record/529857223-calvin-c-davis
African American War Heroes edited by James B. Martin
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56357801/calvin-clark-davis
https://www.fold3.com/image/30642068
https://www.fold3.com/record/84341496-calvin-c-davis
https://www.fold3.com/record/529857223-calvin-c-davis
African American War Heroes edited by James B. Martin
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56357801/calvin-clark-davis
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11136 / MACR 11136, / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database