Ivan Wayne Fink
Military ROLL OF HONOURJoined Sqd 8/17/44. Killed in Action (KIA) 10/18/44 (Leverkusen). Pilot: Dayball.
On the route out of the continent near the coast, a cloud layer building up to 28,000 feet caused the group to break the integrity of the formation. As described previously, the two aircraft collided. On 24 October, 1944, six days after the above two losses, official word was received as to the cause for the loss of two of the three aircraft MIA on the 18th. “The flight surgeon’s report stated that the aircraft piloted by Lts. Bakalo and Dayball, collided in mid-air during an electrical storm over Belgium. Both aircraft crashed, with one exploding; all crew members were killed in action except Lt. Bakalo’s two waist gunners, who bailed out safely. Twelve bodies were found in the two crashed Liberators.
Picture of Ivan Wayne Fink can be found here: https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/airwar-ww2-the-pilots.54010/page-…
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Died |
18 October 1944 | On the route out of the continent near the coast, a cloud layer building up to 28,000 feet caused the group to break the integrity of the formation. As described previously, the two aircraft collided. On 24 October, 1944, six days after the above two losses, official word was received as to the cause for the loss of two of the three aircraft MIA on the 18th. “The flight surgeon’s report stated that the aircraft piloted by Lts. Bakalo and Dayball, collided in mid-air during an electrical storm over Belgium. Both aircraft crashed, with one exploding; all crew members were killed in action except Lt. Bakalo’s two waist gunners, who bailed out safely. Twelve bodies were found in the two crashed Liberators. | |
|
Born |
Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA | ||
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Belgium | 18 October 1944 |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 10140 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Webb Todd MACR 10140