David Oliver Tritsch

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Killed in mid-air collision over Northamptonshire. [Documents attached to database form] Also incident from Combat Chronology Supplement, Snetterton Falcons by Doherty and Ward, p. 189 MACR 8810 September 8, 1944. 'Why Not?' A/C #42-107208 flak caused one engine's cylinder to blow out. Pressure dropped in another engine and pilot Jorgensen could not make the engine feather. Prop wash from other planes caused rapid drop in altitude. Bombs were dropped 20 miles east of Rheims. Now at 1000 feet in altitude, pilot Jorgensen ordered a bail out. All bailed out except pilot, copilot Tritsch and Bombardier. With the load lightened the plane was able to fly to Orly. 'Why Not?' was repaired in France and returned to base

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 96th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Why Not?
  • Unit: 96th Bomb Group 338th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 30 May 1922

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

England 11 October 1944

Buried

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA Gettysburg National Cemetery PLOT Section 3, Site #488

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Changed the location of the KIA event & updated Buried event info per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 51979454.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
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Copied "KIA event" from a Duplicate person as part of a merge operation of dup people so the dup person can be deleted.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
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Added a connection to A/C #42-107208 listed in the "Summary biography".

Date
Contributorjmoore43
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Sources

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

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / niece, Karen Clark; Snetterton Falcons, pg 187