Gaston N Riggs
Military ROLL OF HONOURImage found at Get West London
Gaston Riggs was killed in a training accident in a P-51 Mustang. He had completed 28 missions flying B-17s with the 94th Bomb Group, before transferring to the 339th Fighter Group to fly P-51s.
Riggs was killed in a training accident on 26 February 1945, when his P-51 43-6785 developed engine problems over the Heathrow area on a training flight from Fowlmere. Rather than bailing out over a populated area, he attempted to land at Heston Airfield, but hit the farmhouse on nearby Grange Farm, crashing just outside the airfield perimeter. Local rescuers extricated Riggs from the burning wreck of his aircraft, but he died en route to West Middlesex hospital.
In 2015, Heston locals campaigned for a memorial to recognise Riggs' sacrifice.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: 15074572
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: Headquarters Squadron (94th Bomb Group)
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: 0706731
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: 0799397
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: 39311319
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Tommy
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 331st Bomb Squadron
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Died Killed in Training (KIT) |
Heston | 26 February 1945 | Killed in a training accident |
Buried |
Initially buried at the Cambridge American Cemetery | ||
Buried |
Texas, USA | Re-interred in Texas following the war. |
Revisions
Combined two entries for Gaston Riggs. This entry now includes information from the following sources:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor: Gives Gaston Riggs' middle initial as 'H' rather than 'R'.
Transferred information from duplicate record.
Biographical details by mustangman
Data drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah Georgia