Earle Cheek
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 446th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735
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Military
Killed in Action (KIA) near northwest of Wesel, Germany in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735.
2nd Lieutenant Merlin P. Gaudet was born November 12, 1920. His next of kin were his parents, Gabriel T. and Lucille Gaudet. His hometown was Metuchen, New Jersey.
Lt. Gaudet was the copilot of “Queen of Angels,” B-24 tail #42-50735, of the 446th Bomb Group, 704th Bomb Squadron, when it went down NW of Wesel, Germany, on March 24, 1945.
He is buried at the US Military Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten, Netherlands. He was survived by his wife, Marion E. Gaudet, mother, brother, Floyd, and sister, Juanita. Lt. Gaudet was also the co-pilot on the "Bangin' Lulu' #42-51091 while at Bungay.
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 446th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner/Engineer | 446th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) near northwest Wesel, Germany in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #42-50735 during Operation Varsity.
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 446th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 446th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #42-50735
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner and Armorer (MOS 612) | 446th Bomb Group
Lone survivor of B-24 'Queen of Angels' #42-50735. Sustaining burns from the on-board fire, Alan bailed out of the burning aircraft at an altitude of 100-150 ft. He broke his ankle upon landing. He was immediately captured by the Germans and was a POW...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 446th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) northwest of Wesel, Germany in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #42-50735. He was also the pilot of the "Bangin' Lulu" #42-51091.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Enlisted, Nose Gunner | 446th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator/Lead Squadron Navigator | 446th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 446th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 446th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) near Wesel in B-24 'Queen of Angels' #4250735
Group
The 446th Bomb Group, who came to be known as "the Bungay Buckaroos" after the name of their Suffolk base, flew B-24 Liberators on strategic, support and interdictory missions over Europe. The Group led the Eighth Air Force and 2nd Bomb Division on the...
Squadron
B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
Date Assigned to the 492nd BG. Replacement aircraft for the 858th BS.
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Military site : airfield
From late November 1943, the three bases of Bungay, Seething and Hardwick were the stations of the 20th Combat Wing of the Eighth Air Force. The base had previously housed individual squadrons of the 310th Bomb Group (Twelfth Air Force) and of the 93rd...
Event | Location | Date |
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Born | Saint Petersburg, FL, USA | 12 November 1920 |
2nd Lieutenant Merlin P. Gaudet was born November 12, 1920. His next of kin were his father, Gabriel T. and mother, Lucille Gaudet. His hometown was Metuchen, New Jersey. |
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Buried | 1945 | |
He is buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery at Margraten, Holland. |
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Killed in Action (KIA) | Hamminkeln, Germany | 24 March 1945 |
LT Gaudet was the copilot of “Queen of Angels,” B-24 tail #42-50735, of the 446th Bomb Group, 704th Bomb Squadron, when it went down over Hamminkeln, Germany, on March 24, 1945 during Operation Varsity at 13:26. (1:26 p.m.) |
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Died | Margraten, Netherlands | 24 March 1945 |
Operation Varsity. |
Date | Contributor | Update |
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30 November 2015 04:41:32 | gwap53 | Changes to biography |
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Betsy Keenen Walker |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
30 November 2015 04:40:04 | gwap53 | Changes to middlename, biography and events |
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Betsy Keenen Walker |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 August 2015 13:13:06 | gwap53 | Changes to service number |
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FOLD3 website |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 August 2015 04:38:10 | gwap53 | Changes to biography |
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Lt./Col. Alan W. Keenen (USAF, Ret.) |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 August 2015 04:36:15 | gwap53 | Changes to events |
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Netherlands American Cemetery |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 August 2015 02:51:58 | gwap53 | Changes to biography, events, person associations and place associations |
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Netherlands American Cemetery |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 August 2015 02:37:09 | gwap53 | Changes to service number |
Sources | ||
Netherlands American Cemetery |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
05 August 2015 02:35:49 | gwap53 | Changes to nickname and awards |
Sources | ||
Netherlands American Cemetery |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 February 2015 04:59:06 | WW2 Researcher Bill Beigel | Changes to biography and events |
Sources | ||
IDPF and/or crash report researched by Bill Beigel. IDPF donated to American Air Museum by Bill Beigel. For more information about this flyer, you may contact http://ww2research.com. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:20:06 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 13516 / MACR 14181 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |