Roy B Erwin Jr

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Joined Sqd 3/20/42. ETO/Flight Echelon 10/2/42.



Killed in Action (KIA) (St Nazaire) on January 3, 1943 B-24 #41-23806 'Bat Out of Hell' crashed south-west of Haverfordwest returning from target U/B yards (submarine) at St. Nazaire, France. Fuel shortage caused the crash. Pilot Hilliard was killed.



He went on Sub patrol in the months of April and May with Lt. Diehl and Capt O'Brien over the Gulf of Mexico. They flew a ship from the 66th squadron and used men from the 68th for the crew. On 10 July 1942 they destroyed a submarine at 2010 hours.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 44th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
B-24 Liberators of the 44th Bomb Group line up for takeoff at Shipdham in 1943. The 'Flying Eight-Ball' emblem of the 68th Bomb Squadron is visible on the nose of the leading aircraft. Image stamped with field press censor, 1943. Press Agency photograph- original printed caption has been removed.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Bat Out Of Hell
  • Unit: 44th Bomb Group 68th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Aircraft crash site
  • Known as: Haverfordwest

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Killed on Mission (KOM)

Haverfordwest, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, UK 5 January 1943 Died of injuries 5-Jan-43 received in the crash landing of the aircraft on 3-Jan-43 upon return from a mission to St. Nazaire, France. The American Battle Monuments Commission has no record that his remains are currently interred in any American cemetery in Europe. It is possible that his remains were repatriated to the United States after the war.

Born

Shreveport, Louisiana

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 17-Jan-2015. Added KOM event per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE. made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Webb Todd, Losses of the 8th and 9th Air Forces Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 61, 44th BG Roll of Honor and Casualties by Lundy p. 39, The 44th BG in WWII by MacKay and Adams p.27