Military
"S/Sgt Lonnie L Ackerman of Fox, AR displays air force decorations he received during eleven operational missions as a crew member on the Consolidated B-24 "Baldy and his brood". The decorations are: Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart and Air Medal (3 Oak Leaf Cluster). Norfolk England 29-Jan-44."
"Left To Right: S/Sgt Morris Hall Of Sanger, CA., Presents A Wooden Model Of A Bomber To S/Sgt Oliver R. Germann, Of Moran, Wyo., As S/Sgt. Fred B. Mellums, Springhill, Tenn., S/Sgt. Lonnie L. Ackerman, Fox, Ark., T/Sgt. Buford R. Smith, Insul, Ky., And S/Sgt Joseph A Crowder, Luden, TN., look on. S/Sgt Germann just arrived from a hospital in Africa where he recovered from wounds received in a raid over Italy, to an airbase in England, where he was awarded, in one day, the SS, the DFC(OLC), the PH and the AM(3OLC). England."
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. TDY to 9AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying in B-24 Liberator 41-24201.
On 16-Aug-43, landed in Malta in B-24 'Baldy and His Brood' 42-24201 on the mission to Foggia, Italy while temporarily assigned to the 9th AF. After about 20 attacks by German aircraft and the crew shooting down at least 3 German aircraft, pilot Lt Strong headed to Malta knowing the British hospital could tend to his wounded men.
Awards: SS, DFC (OLC), AM (3OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 44th Bomb Group The Flying Eightballs
Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. TDY 9AF USAAF. Took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the raid on Ploesti on 1-Aug-43, flying in B-24 Liberator 41-24201.
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Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
The 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...
Squadron
B-24 Liberator
Received 4th Mar 43. Flew on the 1st Aug 43 Ploesti raid, returning safely to Libya. Assigned to the 801st BG (P) 28th Feb 44 after conversion by BAD 1 (14th Feb - 28th Feb 44). Salvaged 24th Jun 45.
1 August 1943
Operation TIDAL WAVE. B24D Liberators attack the oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania. The bombers flew low to avoid radar detection and dropped time delayed bombs. Out of the 177 B-24s that took part in the raid 167 managed to attack their targets. 57 B...
Military site : airfield
Shipdham was built in 1941-1942, the first US heavy bomber airfield in the English county of Norfolk. It was a standard design, with T2-type hangars and a domestic site dispersed to the south east. Improvements were carried out to increase the number...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Fox, AR 72051, USA | 10 February 1919 |
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Son of Joseph R and Elsie A Ackerman. |
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| Enlisted | 2 February 1942 | |
| Training | Camp Robinson, Little Rock, AR | March 1942 |
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Training - Camp Robinson, Little Rock, Arkansas |
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| Training | Barksdale Field, LA | June 1942 |
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Gunnery training - Barksdale Field, Louisiana. |
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| Based | March 1943 – 1944 | |
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Assigned to 506BS, 44BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Died | Stone County, AR, USA | 8 December 1974 |
| Buried | Fox Cemetery Fox, Stone County, AR | 13 December 1975 |
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Fox Cemetery |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 17 June 2021 17:09:27 | Al_Skiff | Changes to biography, awards and events |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/record/89818789/lonnie-l-ackerman-wwii-army-enlist... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 June 2021 15:37:55 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 January 2021 16:49:35 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, biography and events |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/167729148 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 May 2020 11:08:49 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to biography, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 March 2020 18:58:55 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added a "-" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 March 2018 18:11:36 | Al_Skiff | Changes to service number, role, biography, awards, events, person associations, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/page/89818789-lonnie-l-ackerman/facts |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:19:03 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
44th Bomb Group Roll of Honor and Casualties by Will Lundy pp.120-121 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |
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