Thomas Jackson Alexander

Military
media-20294.jpeg UPL 20294 2nd Lt Thomas J. Alexander ASN O-2062747, Co-Pilot/MOS1024, R117, Heichel Crew. 854th Squadron 491st Bomb Group- England - 1945 (photo courtesy Anthony Turco family)

American Library Norfolk Database

Object Number - UPL 20294 - 2nd Lt Thomas J. Alexander ASN O-2062747, Co-Pilot/MOS1024, R117, Heichel Crew. 854th Squadron 491st Bomb Group- England - 1945 (photo courtesy...

Thomas Alexander’s older brother, Marston Alexander Jr, born in 1917, died in October 1929. Thomas enlisted in the Air Corps and was trained as a pilot. Sent overseas, he was assigned to the 491st Bomb Group / 854th Bomb Squadron in England. He was on board B-24 "Belle Ringer" # 42-51195 when it crash-landed in Belgium on return from the 14 March 1945 mission to bomb the marshalling yards at Gütersloh, Germany.

Connections

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Units served with

A Pathfinder B-24 Liberator (V2-P+, serial number 42-51691) of the 491st Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '491 BG supplying troops at Arnhem, Sept 1944.'

491st Bomb Group

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

People

Rheudolph W Cain

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 854th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35847379
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Gunner

Seymour Eisenstat

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 854th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32966605 and O-944688
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Lacy Claude Gilliam

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 852nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38554536
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Gunner

Robert E Heichel

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: 13084865 and 2061944
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Kenneth Sage Kingsland

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 854th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 31379109
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer / Top Turret Gunner

Aircraft

42-51195

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Belle Ringer
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 493rd Bomb Group 852nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

886

  • Date: 14 March 1945
  • Official Description:

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Texas, United States 16 May 1923 the son of Marston and Virginia Alexander

Enlisted

Kerrville, Texas, United States 26 May 1942 as a Private in the Air Corps

Other

near Florée, Belgium 14 March 1945 Was on board B-24 "belle Ringer" # 42-51195 when it crash-landed in Belgium

Died

Dallas, Texas, United States 8 April 2005
Dallas, Texas, United States

Buried

Hope Cemetery, Henrietta, Clay County, Texas, United States

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
ChangesChanges to middlename, service number, highest rank, biography, events, person associations, place associations, mission associations and media associations
Sources

NARA WWII Enlistments records
Personal research on Thomas J. Alexander

Date
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / WWW.491st.org roster

Thomas Jackson Alexander: Gallery (11 items)