Edward J Gignac

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Captain Edward J. Gignac of the 486th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, beside his aircraft, P-47 Thunderbolt (PZ-G, serial number 42-22548), named "Gig's-Up". 1943 - June 1944. media-377027.jpg FRE 329 Captain Edward J. Gignac of the 486th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, beside his aircraft, P-47 Thunderbolt (PZ-G, serial number 42-22548), named "Gig's-Up". 1943 - June 1944. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 329 - Captain Edward J. Gignac of the 486th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group, beside his aircraft, P-47 Thunderbolt (PZ-G, serial number 42-22548),...

Edward Gignac was one of the top ski jumpers in the country pre-war, and had lived in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He attended Kimball Union Academy and Middlebury College, both in skiing scholarships. Enlisting in the Air Corps in April 1941, he served in the Pacific with the 40th FS of the 35th FG in New Guinea, where he was injured in a firefight with Japanese bombers on 18 June 1942, flying a P-39. Badly injured, he managed to fly back to base, crash-landing his ship. That action won him the Silver Star. After a stay in the US, he shipped out for England, where he was assigned to the 352nd Fighter Group/486th Fighter Squadron out of Bodney, England. On 7 June 1944, he was Killed in Action (KIA) when the P-51 he was flying #42-106661 was hit by flak near Le Merlerault, France and the aircraft exploded. He is buried in Epinal American Cemetery. His ETO planes were "Gig's-Up" P47D and "Gig's-UP II" P-51B. A memorial for him was erected in 2000 by the municipality of Voisins-le-Bretonneux, Yvelines Department, France.

Connections

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

Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Hot Stuff
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group Headquarters (352nd Fighter Group)
Major Edward J. Gignac's P-47 Thunderbolt (PZ-G, serial number 42-22548), named "Gig's-Up", after a landing accident at Bodney air base, 11 February 1944. Gignac was a pilot with the 486th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group.
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Gigs Up
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 406th Fighter Group 486th Fighter Squadron
A P-47 Thunderbolt (PZ-W, serial number 42-8377) nicknamed "Little Rebel" and a P-51 Mustang (PZ-W, serial number 43-7022) nicknamed "Little Rebel" of the 352nd Fighter Group, both flown by Captain Alton J Wallace , March 1944. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Courtesy Cyrus Hall, 486th FS/352nd FG. Al Wallace's Aircraft March 1944.' Second handwritten caption obscured by printed caption. Printed caption on reverse: 'A fine shot showing the 486th FS transition from P-47's to P-51's. The aircraft are both
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Little Rebel
  • Unit: 352nd Fighter Group 486th Fighter Squadron 325th Fighter Group 317th Fighter Squadron

Missions

Places

Aerial photograph of Bodney airfield, looking south east, the barrack sites are in the top centre of the image, 8 June 1945. Photograph taken by No. 542 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/369. English Heritage (RAF Photography).
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Royal Air Force Bodney

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Lebanon, Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States 7 September 1918 the son of Clovis and Agnes Gignac

Enlisted

Boston, Massachusetts, United States 28 April 1941

Died

7 June 1944 While strafing German prime movers headed to Normandy, the plane Gignac was flying (PZ-J "Hot Stuff" of Willie O Jackson) was hit by light flak in the wing ammo bay and exploded. This was witnessed by Bernard Karl, his wingman and by 1st Lt Richard B. Press.
Lebanon, Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States US Census 1920
Lynn, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States

Buried

Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial Edward Gignac rests at Plot A, Row 33, Grave 28

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Corrected typo in birth data

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Deleted field duplicates in Biography

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

NARA WWII Enlistment Records
US Census 1920
WWII Memorial Registry page by his sister Marilyn

Date
Contributorfugari
Changes
Sources

JCook Archives

Date
ContributorMarc 352
Changes
Sources

This edit was made by Marc Hamel, author and Assistant Historian, 352nd FG Association. Hamel is also researcher and biographer of Gignac.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Brought in information from duplicate record. Source:
MACR 5556 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

See also: https://abmc.gov/node/525945#.WEk7tE1viM8

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 5556 / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Edward J Gignac: Gallery (3 items)