John Gunning

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Shot down by fighters and crashed near Hardenburg, Holland on a mission to Gotha, GR on 24 Feb 1944 in B-24H #42-7567 'Wacky Donald'. Killed in Action (KIA).

A tragic story emerges from the book:
Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe, by Robert D Madsen
Gunning was ground crew (armorer.) He "begged to go on a mission." He was subbing for A R Kaufman who was sick. Pilot Blomberg would catch hell if the brass found out that this "vital ground crewman was airborne." Blomberg and Gunning didn't live to "catch hell."

Connections

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

Units served with

A pathfinder B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51681) of the 453rd Bomb Group flies in formation with a fellow Liberator of the 453rd and and a pathfinder Liberator of the 445th Bomb Group. Image via Alan Rowsell.

445th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Robert A Blomberg

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-681317
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Edward T Cooper

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35563465
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Eugene A Hickey

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Alvin R Kaufman

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Clement F Leone

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13137217
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Aircraft

42-7567

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Black Dog, Wacky Donald
  • Unit: 445th Bomb Group 700th Bomb Squadron

Places

Signal Squares on the airfield at Tibenham, B-24 Liberators of the 398th Bomb Group are visible in the background. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Tibenham Signal Squares.'

Tibenham

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Tivetshall

Events

Event Location Date Description

Died

24 February 1944

Born

Montebello, California, USA

Buried

Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, California

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

Germany 24 February 1944

Revisions

Date5 May 2023 22:56:41
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Capitalized the words "Waist Gunner" in the "Role/job" field.

Date17 May 2017 04:29:21
ContributorDRudell
ChangesChanges to biography and person associations
Sources

Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe, by by Robert D Madsen

Date27 Sep 2014 18:15:27
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2553 / MACR 2553, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database