Richard Thompson Carrington Jr

Military
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.  UPL 45632 UPL 45632 384th Bomb Group Lead Crews / 29 July 1943/Kiel.
Back L-R: SSgt. Walter C. Parkins (FG), TSgt. Philip E. Schmidlapp (TT), SSgt. Floyd M. Wingate (FG), TSgt. Arthur E. Brittain (RO), SSgt. Win R. Smalley (BT)
Front L-R: 1st Lt. Gordon K. Stallings (OBS/TG), Capt. Richard T. Carrington Jr. (AC/CP), Capt. Michael H. Smithwick (B), Capt. Raymond P. Ketelsen (P), 1st Lt. Robin Everett Taber (N)

384th Bomb Group collection

The Quentin Bland Collection.

On

Object Number - UPL 45632 - 384th Bomb Group Lead Crews / 29 July 1943/Kiel. Back L-R: SSgt. Walter C. Parkins (FG), TSgt. Philip E. Schmidlapp (TT), SSgt. Floyd M. Wingate...

Shot down 12 August 1943 in B-17 #42-3231 'The Inferno', Prisoner of War (POW).



Retired from the USAF with the rank of Colonel.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13096046
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-567663
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner/Observer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-672340
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Eleven men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Six men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (384th Bomb Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-728223
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Navigator
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron 545th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (384th Bomb Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-404094
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot / Group Operations Officer / Squadron Commander

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Snuffy
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Joker
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Yankee Powerhouse II : Mary Kathleen
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Inferno
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Salt Lake City, UT 22 January 1942

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Moosburg, Germany 15 August 1943 Stalag Luft III (dates are approximate)

Died

Tehachapi, CA 3 December 2013 Col. Richard Thompson Carrington, Jr. 1923 — 2013 Col. Richard Thompson Carrington, Jr., born March 1, 1923, passed away on Dec. 3, 2013. Married for 70 years to his wife Jewel, Richard was the father of Michael and Patrick, grandfather to seven, great-grandfather to two, and raised three grandchildren: Colin, Kaylee and Naomi. Richard served for over 27 years in the United States Air Force and retired with the rank of Colonel. He flew the B-17 in WWII and was shot down over Germany in August of 1943 and held as a POW at Stalag Luft III before being rescued in 1945 by a branch of Patton's army. After the war, Richard took a two-year break from service to attend college at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, returning to service in 1948. His flying career included the B-29 and B-47 at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., a tour at Strategic Air Command (SAC) at Omaha, Neb. as well as serving as an Air Force Representative for NATO.

Buried

Arvin, Kern County, California, USA 7 December 2013 Bakersfield National Cemetery Section 9 Plot 318

Other

Shot Down/Captured

Erfstadt, Germany 12 August 1943 When I last saw Capt Carrington's plane he was still under control and knew exactly what he was doing. I think it was one of the finest examples of personal bravery I had ever witnessed." - from another 384th BG pilot who had witnessed Carrington's plane drop out of formation and attacked by German Fighters. Carrington turned his plane into the attack and positioned the a/c as best as possible to bring his guns to bear on the enemy.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C tail # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Changed the label for a POW event to "Prisoner of War (POW)" per info in the "Summary biography".

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

corrected entry

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 287 / MACR 287, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=… / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Richard Thompson Carrington: Gallery (4 items)