David Luther Barkhurst

Military

Assigned to 547BS, 384BG, 8AF USAAF. 25 x combat missions. Shot down 13-Apr-44 in B-17 42-31433 'Rum Pot', evaded capture for 7 days. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 3865.

Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.

384th Bomb Group

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

People

Clarence G Stearns

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-738045
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

A 365th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress (XK-R, serial number 41-24578) taxiis to take off from Chelveston airbase. Passed for publication 30 Jun 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: '124578, XK:R.' Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresses stati

41-24578

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Problem Child : Old Reliable
  • Unit: Base Air Depot 1 547th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group 305th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron

42-29733

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Louisiana Purchase
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron 305th Bomb Group 422nd Bomb Squadron 94th Bomb Group 331st Bomb Squadron

42-31433

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Rum Pot II
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron

42-31606

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Belle of the Brawl
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron

42-37788

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hell's Messenger
  • Unit: 2nd Strategic Air Depot 364th Fighter Group 544th Bomb Squadron 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron

Places

Dulag Luft 12

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12

Stalag XVII-B

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Jewett, OH. 12 June 1913 Son of Hal Haze and Edna Pearl [Lowmiller] Barkhurst.

Enlisted

Pittsburgh, PA 28 April 1942 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Other

Baled out & Evaded

13 April 1944 - 20 April 1944 Shot down 13-Apr-44 in B-17 42-31433 'Rum Pot', evaded capture for 7 days.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Krems an der Donau, Austria 20 April 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft XVIIb.

Died

Bulger, PA 4 March 2011

Based

Grafton Underwood 13 April 1944 Assigned to 547BS, 384BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date19 May 2021 09:29:10
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to biography and events
Sources

Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and consistency

Date18 May 2021 20:28:09
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to biography and events
Sources

Updated the "POW" event per info in the "Summary biography".

Date16 Jul 2020 18:01:33
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to biography, awards, events, person associations, unit associations and place associations
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/543717894
https://www.fold3.com/record/86948660-david-l-barkhurst
https://www.fold3.com/record/86948660-david-l-barkhurst
https://www.fold3.com/record/284408281-david-l-barkhurst
https://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=5049

Date25 Jan 2020 19:48:23
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.

Date14 Nov 2019 08:03:03
ContributorRichard L Moore
ChangesChanges to service number
Sources

TSgt. David L. Barkhurst was my grandfather.

Date14 Nov 2019 07:31:57
ContributorRichard L Moore
ChangesChanges to middlename
Sources

TSgt. David L. Barkhurst was my grandfather.

Date14 Nov 2019 07:25:22
ContributorRichard L Moore
ChangesChanges to biography, events, place associations and aircraft associations
Sources

TSgt. David L. Barkhurst was my grandfather.

Date14 Nov 2019 07:14:26
ContributorRichard L Moore
ChangesChanges to awards
Sources

TSgt. David L. Barkhurst was my grandfather.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:07:05
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3867 / MACR 3867, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=… / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database