Claire Donald Porter

Military
media-26992.jpeg UPL 26992 1st LT. Claire D. Porter

Son of Claire D. Porter

Object Number - UPL 26992 - 1st LT. Claire D. Porter

Claire Porter served as a P-38 pilot with the 343rd Fighter Squadron of the 55th Fighter Group. On 16 June 1944, while strafing gun emplacement, his P-38 #43-28713 was hit by flak and crashed near Oisemont. Porter survived and was taken as a Prisoner of War. He was held in Stalag Luft XVIIb.



Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 bronze stars and World War II Victory Medal. He was eligible to apply for the Prisoner of War Medal after it was authorized in 1985.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 495th Fighter Training Group 496th Fighter Training Group 55th Fighter Group 388th Fighter Squadron 554th Fighter Training Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-743364
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron 434th Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-758129
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Nicknames: Bambi
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
  • Unit: 55th Fighter Group 343rd Fighter Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 7a, Moosburg

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Wilbur, WA 99185, USA 10 March 1921

Killed in Action (KIA)

Spokane, WA, USA 1 January 1930

Enlisted

16 September 1940 Parkwater, Washington

Other

Shot Down

Oisemont, France 16 June 1944 Shot down while strafing gun emplacement. POW until end of War.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Moosburg, Germany 16 June 1944 Stalag 7A Moosburg Bavaria 48-12 (Work Camps 3324-46 Krumbachstrasse 48011, Work Camp 3368 Munich 48-11)

Died

Las Vegas, NV, USA 22 June 1994

Buried

Las Vegas, Nevada

Revisions

Date
Contributordecwriter
Changes
Sources

Added middle name, ASN upon entry, ADSM based on entry date and ACM for continued service. Based on the previous entry, I believe it meant to reference the EAME Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars versus the Bronze Star Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters as no BSM file exists for Claire D. Porter.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186214518/claire-donald-porter

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Updated the location of the "Shot Down " event per info in the "Summary biography".

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a POW event per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Added an association to Stalag 7A per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Brought in information from duplicate record. Sources:
Donald Craig Porter, son of Claire D Porter
Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Date
ContributorApilotsproudson
Changes
Sources

My dads own recollection.

Date
ContributorApilotsproudson
Changes
Sources

I have his Medal in my possession

Date
ContributorApilotsproudson
Changes
Sources

US National Archives

Date
ContributorApilotsproudson
Changes
Sources

Accordin to family records and I as one of his sons can verify death date and place.
D. Craig Porter

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 5737 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Claire Donald Porter: Gallery (1 items)