Thomas Arthur Beemer

Military

Assigned to 362FS, 357FG, 8AF USAAF. Crashed near Regensberg on an escort mission to Schwienfurt, on 25-Feb-44 (whilst diving through the bomber formation in pursuit of an attacking Bf109 was hit by B-17 defensive fire) in P-51B 43-6927. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2679. Sustained two broken legs in his descent, so subsequently was repatriated to the USA aboard the Swedish mercy ship 'Gripsholm'.



Awards: POW, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.



Post war: Pursued a career in producing and directing movies. Among others Walt Disney movies such as "Three on the Run" " Race for Survival" and "Legend of Black Thunder Mountain" and several Lassie episodes.

Connections

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

Units served with

Aircraft

43-6927

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 357th Fighter Group 362nd Fighter Squadron

Places

Aerial photograph of Leiston airfield looking south, the control tower and technical site are to the right, 16 October 1945. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/929. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Leiston

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Theberton/Saxmundham
Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.

Stalag Luft I

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Yerington, NV 89447, USA 2 October 1921 Son of John Arthur and Mabel Staples [Fish] Beemer.

Enlisted

Sacramento, CA, USA 21 May 1942

Other

Crashed

Hayward, CA, USA 17 September 1943 Take Off Accident Hayward, CA Cat 3 damage Lt Thomas A Beemer, 17-Sep-43. P-39Q 42-19558 - 362FS 357FG

Other

Shot down

Regensburg, Germany 25 February 1944 Crashed near Regensberg on an escort mission to Schwienfurt, on 25-Feb-44 (whilst diving through the bomber formation in pursuit of an attacking Bf109 was hit by B-17 defensive fire) in P-51B 43-6927. POW. MACR 2679.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 25 February 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.

Died

Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA 13 January 1999

Based

Leiston 25 February 1944 Assigned to 362FS, 357FG, 8AF USAAF.

Other

Repatriated

United States Sustained two broken legs baling out, subsequently repatriated to the USA aboard the Swedish mercy ship 'Gripsholm'.
Elmore County, ID, USA

Buried

Leavenworth, WA 98826, USA Mountain View Cemetery Leavenworth Chelan County Washington USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/page/84964779_thomas_a%20beemer/details/
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Beemer
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbapi.asp?Pilot=Beemer%2C+Thomas
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Beemer&GSfn=Thoma…;

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2524, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / MACR 2679 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list