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Military
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission in B-17G 42-97680 'Lil Satan' Baled out after direct hit to nose of A/C. Prisoner of War (POW). 25-Jun-44. MACR 6738.
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 35 x combat missions. Returned from mission in B-17G 42-97890 'Lil Satan' after direct hit to nose of A/C. Returned to Duty (RTD). 25-Jun-44. MACR 6738.
Awards: DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 27/3/44; Kearney 22/5/44; Grenier 29/5/44; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-U] Kimbolton 12/6/44 LIL SATAN; returning from Toulouse flak hit blew off nose 25/6/44 with Karl Becker; Navigator: Bob Evans, Bombardier: Arthur Maataa (2 Killed in...
25 June 1944
From his mission list for the 385th/548th, this is mission #142. The target says "French Supply." He was on Peterson's Crew.
Military site : airfield
Planned for RAF use, Kimbolton airfield was built by W and C French Ltd. in 1941. The airfield was increased in size to accommodate a full US heavy Bomb Group, and the first such unit to us it was the 91st Bomb Group, who arrived in September 1942....
Other location
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Pekin, IL | 26 December 1921 |
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Son of Lazzero and Maria [Dolcetti] Simoncini. |
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| Enlisted | Peoria, IL | 6 June 1942 |
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Peoria, Illinois |
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| Based | Kimbolton | 1943 – 25 June 1944 |
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Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Baled out | 60000 Beauvais, France | 25 June 1944 |
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Failed to Return (FTR) mission in B-17G 42-97680 'Lil Satan' Prisoner of War (POW). 25-Jun-44. MACR 6738. |
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| Prisoner of War (POW) | Tychowo, Poland | 25 June 1944 – May 1945 |
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Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft IV. |
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| Discharged USAAF | 22 October 1945 | |
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Honourable discharge. |
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| Died | 26 December 1985 | |
| Buried | Lakeside Cemetery, Pekin, IL | 29 December 1985 |
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Lakeside Cemetery |
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