Ralph Frederick Perkins Jr

Military
media-26390.jpeg UPL 26390 Aviation Cadet Ralph Frederick "Sonny" Perkins

Army Air Forces Navigation School Class 42-16 'Log' , Hondo Army Air Field, Hondo, Texas

Object Number - UPL 26390 - Aviation Cadet Ralph Frederick "Sonny" Perkins

Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, the B-24 was shot up pretty bad, and upon landing somewhere in Europe, caught fire with 6 members of the former DOPEY CREW: Gooden, Perkins, McNeil, Beaudry, Cox, and Cochrane, losing their lives." MACR 170.



Awards: S, DFC, PH.

Connections

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Units served with

Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 343rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16076381 / O-731565
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Margie A Virgin
  • Unit: Ninth Air Force

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Soluch Airfield

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Marinette, WI, USA 31 December 1919 Son of Harry Ralph and Anna [Parthie] Perkins.

Enlisted

Wausau, WI 18 October 1941 Wausau, Wisconsin

Died

Romania 1 August 1943 Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid, the B-24 was shot up pretty bad, and upon landing somewhere in Europe, caught fire with 6 members of the former DOPEY CREW: Gooden, Perkins, McNeil, Beaudry, Cox, and Cochrane, losing their lives." MACR 170.

Other

Assigned

Benghazi, Libya 1 August 1943 343rd BS, 98th BG, 9th AF.

Buried

Forest Home Cemetery Marinette, Marinette County, WI Forest Home Cemetery Marinette, Marinette County Wisconsin, USA.

Revisions

Date
Contributordecwriter
Changes
Sources

Received DFC for his actions on the 1 Aug 1943 Ploesti raid.

Date
Contributormillebr
Changes
Sources

Arizona, County Marriages; Ancestry.com - Family Trees; Fold3.com

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes

Ralph Frederick Perkins: Gallery (1 items)