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Phillip Junior Comella

Military

  •  

Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Killed in Action. MACR 3139

Awards: AM, PH

Service

People

  • William Aunspaugh

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 3139 Awards: AM, PH

  • Curtis Bellfy

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 3139 Awards: AM, PH.

  • Guy Claypool

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 3139 Awards: AM, PH.

  • John Mont

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Gunner, Right Waist Gunner, Top Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Returned to Duty (RTD). MACR 3139 ...

  • Joseph Payne

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Returned to Duty (RTD). MACR 3139 Awards: AM (3OLC), GC, PH, WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).

  • Frank Pilato

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 3139 Awards: AM, PH.

  • Patsy Sacco

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 3139 Awards: AM, PH.

  • Walter Steele

    Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Returned to Duty (RTD). MACR 3139 Awards: AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Frank Zagrovich

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Returned to Duty (RTD). MACR 3139 Awards: AM (2OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.

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Units served with

  • 388th Bomb Group

    388th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...

  • 560th Bomb Squadron

    560th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

Aircraft

  • 42-31149

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 25/9/43; Gr Island 9/10/43; Love Fd 12/10/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 15/10/43; Missing in Action Ludwigshafen 30/12/43 with Phil Comelia, Co-pilot: Guy Claypool, Navigator: Bill Aunspaugh, Bombardier: Curtis Bellfy, Flight...

Associated Place

  • Knettishall

    Military site : airfield
    Knettishall was built to Class A standard for an American Bomb Group that would be bringing up to forty heavy bombers with them in three or four Squadrons. The 388th Bomb Group, which stayed at Knettishall for their entire service in the ETO, flew B-17...

Events

Event Location Date
Born St Joseph, MO 9 May 1919

Son of Phillip Comella.
Based Knettishall 1943 – 30 December 1943

Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF.
Killed in Action English Channel off Isle of Wight 30 December 1943

Failed to Return (FTR) Ludwigshafen 30-Dec-43 in B-17 42-31149 'My Day'; ditched in Channel 30-Dec-43, Killed in Action. MACR 3139
Buried 1946

Tablets of the Missing
Cambridge American Cemetery
Coton, Cambs
Nationality
American
Nickname
Not yet known
Service numbers
O-678175
Highest rank
First Lieutenant
Role/job
Pilot
Awards
  • Air Medal
  • Purple Heart

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
25 November 2021 22:10:58 Al_Skiff Changes to biography and events
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/619753745
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56288690/phillip-j-comella
Date Contributor Update
25 November 2021 10:36:00 general ira snapsorter Changes to biography and events
Sources

ABMC; MACR 3139 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
Date Contributor Update
25 November 2021 09:59:54 Al_Skiff Changes to middlename, firstname, service number, highest rank, biography, awards, events, person associations, unit associations and place associations
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/37110587
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56288690/phillip-j-comella
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:21:27 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

MACR 3139 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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