Roy H Downer

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-20947.jpeg UPL 20947 Crew #64
Frank Herzik Crew
458th BG - 755th BS

Standing Left to Right: Harold Howell (CP), Henry Piaseki (B), William Thorp (N), Frank Herzik (P)

Kneeling Left to Right: Harold Craddock (WG), Anthony Konarski (TTG), Roy Downer (BTG), George Kulikowski (TG), Jack Donahue (G), Deral Hartle (R/O)

Object Number - UPL 20947 - Crew #64 Frank Herzik Crew 458th BG - 755th BS Standing Left to Right: Harold Howell (CP), Henry Piaseki (B), William Thorp (N), Frank Herzik...

Presumed lost in the North Sea on a mission to Berlin, GR on 3 Mar 1944 in B-24H #41-29298. Killed in Action (KIA).

Connections

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Units served with

Personnel of the 458th Bomb Group gather around a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-29303) nicknamed "Liberty Lib" in order to transfer a casualty into a waiting ambulance. Image via Harry Holmes. Written on slide casing: '458th BG.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 458th Bomb Group 755th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-663519
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Ole Satan
  • Unit: 458th Bomb Group 755th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Tyler, TX, USA 10 October 1942

Born

Texas, USA

Buried

No Known Grave Tablet of The Missing Cambridge American Cemetery

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

North Sea 3 March 1944 "No. 1 - Fri Mar. 3 Started for Berlin via Northern route at 22,000 - temp -65° and contrails terrible - awfully tough forming, three wings aborted over North Sea. We were off course and caught heavy, accurate flak at Cuxhaven where Bruno [Major Bruno Fieling, Group Ops Officer] had us do a 180° in the stuff and return. Wasn't a bit scared - just looked like fireworks and instead of dropping eggs, we brought 52-M47A1 bombs back. Beeze [Capt Royce B. Glenn, Crew 73 pilot] flew dep. lead to [illegible]. Herzik in "Old Satan" [sic] lost - probably ditched and froze as radio got no call from him and he had no flimsy - seas too high for A-S Rescue."
Marshall, TX, USA

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3347 / MACR 3347, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces & Page 275 of the book LIBERATORS OVER EUROPE by Mackay, Bailey & Scorza, D790G458 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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