John Calvin Shahbaz
Military
From the private collection of Chris "Drake" Dracopoulos.
Object Number - UPL 39085 - 491st Bomb Group, May 2009. The final Annual Reunion at the 8th Air Force Museum, Savannah, Georgia, USA. 40 Members were in attendance.
Assigned to 852BS, 491BG, 8AF USAAF. ? x combat missions. Berlin mission in B-24 42-50680 26-Feb-45; feathered No3 engine over target, fell behind formation, A/C abandoned Rakoniewice, Poland. RTD MACR 12770
Awards: DFC, AM, AFCM, National Defense, WWII Victory, EAME.
"Shahbaz completed his crew training at Peterson Field Colorado and arrived at Metfield the day the bomb dump blew up. His first mission was to Saarbrucken; the worst his 7th when the pilot was killed just before the bomb run. He was then used as a replacement and later baled out near Berlin. The crew were hidden by the Polish Underground until joining up with the advancing Russian forces. The Russians moved them to Odessa from where they were shipped to Naples and arrived back at N. Pickenham just before VE Day. He spent the next 23 years with SAC. Colonel Shahbaz served as President of the Ringmasters 1994- 1996 "
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 491st Bomb Group 852nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-718649
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit: 491st Bomb Group 852nd Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Gary, Lake County, IN | 19 January 1924 | Son of Jonathan and Leah Shahbaz. |
|
Enlisted |
Chicago, IL | 7 November 1942 | Chicago, Illinois |
|
Other Baled out RTD |
Rakoniewice, Poland | 26 February 1945 | Berlin mission 26-Feb-45; feathered No3 engine over target, fell behind formation, A/C abandoned Rakoniewice, Poland. RTD MACR 12770 |
|
Other Returned to UK |
Odesa, Russia | 26 February 1945 - 8 May 1945 | Returned to UK by VE day via polish underground and Russians. |
|
Died |
Carmichael, CA | 19 January 2021 | |
|
Buried |
Sacramento Valley National Cemetery Dixon, Solano County, CA | 22 January 2021 | Sacramento Valley National Cemetery Dixon, Solano County, California |
|
Based |
Metfield | Assigned to 852BS, 491BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / WWW.491st.org roster
