Earl B Duarte
MilitaryPilot, Duarte crew. 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF. Mission #55 to Bordeaux, France. Aircraft damaged by enemy fighters blowing out the plexiglass in the nose and engines #2 & 3. Headed to Spain and bailed out with one engine left. MACR 1878. Evaded.
Livermore, CA
On our 3rd mission on 31 December 1943 in B-17 #42-39910, we were bombing airfields in Southern France and we were shot down by German fighters. We all bailed out, 7 crew members were captured. 3, myself, the co-pilot and waist gunner escaped into Spain through the underground over Pyrenees Mountains and were interned in Spain and were flown back to England from Gibraltar in March, 1944.
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-686917
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 20755148
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12209398
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12214550
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Aircraft
Missions
Places
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Livermore, California | 16 May 1917 | |
|
Other Evaded |
31 December 1943 - 17 April 1944 | EE Report 563 | |
|
Based Evaded |
31 December 1943 |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of t he 8th & 9th