Gordon Charles Behling

Military

Assigned to 767BS, 561BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Blechammer mission in B-24 42-51319 'Welcome Wagon'; A/C mauled by fighters, baled out. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 10651



Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

A B-24 Liberator of the 461st Bomb Group, 15th Air Force drops supplies over a Prisoner of War camp in Austria, May 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: '9 May 1945, Last 'combat' mission of 461st BG to British POW camp near Villack, Austria. #33 flown by Lt John Stegman- 765th BS.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 461st Bomb Group 767th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14164992 / O-825560
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

A B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51319) of the 461st Bomb Group, 15th Air Force. Handwritten caption on reverse: '42-51319 B-24J-5-DT shown in France.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Welcome Wagon
  • Unit: 461st Bomb Group 767th Bomb Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany
  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Cerignola #3

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Jefferson County, WI 11 November 1923 Son of Arnold A and Alice Behling.

Enlisted

Eau Claire, WI 15 December 1942 Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Other

Baled out POW

Prague, Czech 17 December 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) Blechammer mission in B-24 42-51319 'Welcome Wagon'; A/C mauled by fighters, baled out. POW MACR 10651

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 17 December 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.

Died

Madison, WI 7 October 2007

Buried

Forest Hill Cemetery Madison, Dane County, WI 10 October 2007 Forest Hill Cemetery Madison, Dane County, WI

Based

Torretta 17 December 1944 Assigned to 767BS, 561BG, 15AF USAAF.