Neil Edward Oatney

Military

Object Number - UPL 83227 - S/Sgt Neil E. Oatney

Assigned to 704BS, 446BG, 8AF USAAF. George Alter crew. 35 x missions. ETD

 

"Although most bombing missions ended without incident, there were two missions that Neil always remembered. On one mission, anti-aircraft flak shattered the glass on his gun turret and severed his oxygen supply and cutting his throat, which forced other crew members to pull him out of the turret and strap a portable oxygen bottle on him until they returned to base. 
On another mission, he became a member of the Caterpillar Club for having saved his life by parachute after enemy fire destroyed his B-24 on a mission on 19-Dec-44. The entire crew parachuted over Belgium and returned safely to England."

 

Awards: AM (5OLC), EAME (3BS), WWII Victory.

Connections

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

Units served with

A flight of B-24 Liberators of the 446th Bomb Group fly in formation above the clouds.

446th Bomb Group

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

People

George Alter

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group

Aircraft

42-51091

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Bangin' Lulu
  • Unit: 446th Bomb Group 492nd Bomb Group 704th Bomb Squadron 857th Bomb Squadron 858th Bomb Squadron

Places

Aerial photograph of Bungay (Flixton) airfield, looking south, the technical site- with T2 hangar- and control tower are to the right, where the main airfield gate is also situated, 16 October 1945. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/930. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Bungay

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Flixton

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Fairfield County, Ohio 8 December 1924 BornFairfield County, Ohio

Enlisted

Columbus, Ohio 31 March 1943 EnlistedColumbus, Ohio

Died

Lancaster, Ohio 9 March 2008 DiedLancaster, Ohio

Buried

Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery Lancaster, Ohio 12 March 2008 InterredBURIALSaint Mary Catholic CemeteryLancaster, Ohio

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/679084558

https://www.fold3.com/record/81883124/neil-edward-oatney-us-social-security-death-index

https://www.fold3.com/record/88729918/neil-e-oatney-us-wwii-army-enlistment-records-1938-1946

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25237615/neil_edward-oatney/photo

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/143779037?objectPage=140

 

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / www.446bg.com/

Neil Edward Oatney: Gallery (2 items)

Object number: UPL 49758 - BANGIN' LULU with a crew at the 446th Bomb Group...

Neil Oatney

Object number: UPL 83227 - S/Sgt Neil E. Oatney