Ralph Irving Bowman Jr

Military
media-38134.jpeg UPL 38134 Capt Ralph Bowman 55th FS 1945 J Cook photo collection and archives

JCook Photo Collection & Archives

Object Number - UPL 38134 - Capt Ralph Bowman 55th FS 1945

Assigned to 55FS, 20FG, 8AF USAAF. Flight leader 55FS. 296 x combat hrs. Transferred to 4th Combat Bomb Wing on completion of tour. Credited with 2 x destroyed, 1 x damaged.





Awards: DFC, AM (8OLC), WWII Victory, American Campaign and Defense Medal, EAME (6 x Battle Stars), OCC, National Defense, AF Longevity Service Award.



Killed in crash of C-45 Beach, 44-87129 5-Apr-51. Killed in Flying Action (KIFA)

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 20th Fighter Group 353rd Fighter Group 351st Fighter Squadron 55th Fighter Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

North Carolina, USA 26 September 1921 Son of Ralph Irving Sr and Sarah Frances [Burgess] Bowman.

Based

Kings Cliffe 17 July 1944 - 13 January 1945 Assigned to 55FS, 20FG, 8AF USAAF.

Other

Promotion

Wittering, Peterborough PE8, UK 21 October 1944 Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.

Other

Promotion

Wittering, Peterborough PE8, UK 19 December 1944 Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Transferred

14 January 1945 Transferred to 4th Combat Bomb Wing.

Other

Promotion

Wittering, Peterborough PE8, UK 14 January 1945 Promoted to Captain.

Other

Crashed

Las Cruces, NM, USA 5 April 1951 Fatal Crash Ground Collision 15 Miles E Las Cruces, NM C-45F 44-87129 4914FOS 910ABG Kirtland AFB, NM

Other

End Tour of Duty (ETD)

England, UK Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
Contributorfugari
Changes
Sources

Corrected spelling

Date
Contributorfugari
Changes
Sources

JCook Photo Collection & Archives

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia;
- King's Cliffe Memorial Edition

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Ralph Irving Bowman: Gallery (4 items)