Harry Elward Edeburn Jr

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-33232.jpeg UPL 33232 Harry Edeburn Courtesy of the 100th BG website

100th BG

Object Number - UPL 33232 - Harry Edeburn Courtesy of the 100th BG website

Assigned to 349BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Mortally wounded by 20mm cannon shell, despite wound, attempted on several occasions to assist pilot Lt Sumner Reeder with control of B-17 42-5957 6-Sep-43. Killed in Action (KIA).

Awards: DSC, AM, PH.

Distinguished Service Cross Citation:

"The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918, takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross (Posthumously) to Flight Officer Harry E. Edeburn (AFSN: T-60794), United States Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Co-Pilot of a B-17 Heavy Bomber in the 349th Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group (H), EIGHTH Air Force, during a high altitude bombardment mission over Germany on 6 September 1943. During a continued running battle against enemy fighter planes, Flight Officer Edeburn was mortally wounded by the explosion of a cannon shell. Although mortally wounded, Flight Officer Edeburn attempted to remain at his post, and when made to lie down, tried many times to return to the co-pilot's position. Flight Officer Edeburn's courage and devotion to duty in the face of death were an inspiration to his comrades and reflect the highest credit upon himself and the armed forces of the United States."

General Orders: Headquarters, European Theater of Operations, U.S. Army, General Orders No. 97 (17th December, 1943)

Connections

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Units served with

The wreckage of a B-24 Liberator (GO-K) of the 328th Bomb Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group that has crash landed. A B-17 Flying Fortress of the 100th Bomb Group is in the background.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30088) nicknamed "Squawkin' Hawk I" of the 100th Bomb Group, signed by personnel. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Thorpe Abbott. Home 17/5/44. 100th Bomb Group.' Printed caption on reverse: '53312AC - Proud Veteran Goes Home ... With hundreds of autographs on its sleek hull, the war-weary veteran Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Squawkin' Hawk I" is shown shortly before it took off from its 8th AAF bases in England to return to the U.S. for retirement. Covering 47,720
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Squawkin Hawk II
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Jefferson County, PA, USA 28 December 1919 Son of Margaret Huldah [Park] Edeburn.

Enlisted

Pittsburgh, PA, USA 3 July 1941 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Died

Stuttgart, Germany 6 September 1943 Mortally wounded by 20mm cannon shell, despite wound, attempted on several occasions to assist pilot Lt Sumner Reeder with control of B-17 42-5957 6-Sep-43. KIA.

Buried

7 September 1943 Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial Coton, Cambs, UK Plot C Row 1 Grave 31

Based

Thorpe Abbotts 6 September 1943 Assigned to 349BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date8 Feb 2021 20:48:59
ContributorAl_Skiff
ChangesChanges to suffix and biography
Sources

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56289435/harry-elward-edeburn
Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and consistency

Date30 Mar 2020 20:48:09
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

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

Date2 Mar 2020 01:59:58
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

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

Date27 Mar 2019 17:08:17
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to events
Sources

Added burial info from Find-a-grave Memorial #56289435

Date27 Sep 2014 18:12:20
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Combat Sup, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 p. 507by Bishop & Hey, ABMC / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Harry Elward Edeburn: Gallery (5 items)