Onner Duncan Davis II

Military
media-36323.jpeg UPL 36323 Handsome Bastard: Onner D. Davis, 385th BG, Great Ashfield

Object Number - UPL 36323 - Handsome Bastard: Onner D. Davis, 385th BG, Great Ashfield

Assigned to 551BS, 549BG, 8AF USAAF. Originally assigned Co-Pilot at Great Ashfield in B-17 42-31917 'Off Spring' with Pilot Duane (Pappy) Pangle. Twenty missions completed in Off Spring before battle damage prevented the aircraft from flying the 21st mission on 11-Apr-44. Assigned to B-17 42-30197 'Mission Belle' crash landed in Sweden that day and interned.



Awards: AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 385th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 549th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17064872 / O-803669
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

Corporal John E. Burkey and Corporal Paul G. Huston of the 385th Bomb Group paint the nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30168) nicknamed "Mission Belle". Passed for publication 10 Oct 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: '230168.' Printed caption on reverse: 'Flying Fortresses In Combat Missions Over Europe. Picture Shows:- Cpl. John E. Burkey, Philadelphia, Pa., and Cpl. Paul G. Huston, Lingure, Pa.; doing a bit of painting on Fortress "Mission Belle" - the ship of 1/Lt. Wayne Horr, A
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Mission Belle
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 549th Bomb Squadron
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-31917) nicknamed "Off Spring" of the 551st Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '551BS/385BG. 231917. B-17 Flying Fortress, 6736. 2 of 6 pics.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Off Spring
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 551st Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Indiana 13 October 1918

Enlisted

Evansville, IN 17 January 1941 Evansville, Indiana

Other

Interned (INT)

Kristianopel, Sweden 11 April 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) Rostock in B-17 42-30197 'Mission Belle', hit by flak on bomb run 11-Apr-44. Landed in Kristianopel, Sweden. Interned.

Died

5 November 1972

Buried

Laurel Land Memorial Park Fort Worth, Tarrant County, TX 8 November 1972 Laurel Land Memorial Park Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas

Based

Great Ashfield 11 April 1944 Assigned to 551BS, 549BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

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Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia;
- MACR 3822

Date
ContributorAAM
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Sources

MACR 3822 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Onner Duncan Davis: Gallery (5 items)