Thomas G Deavenport

Military ROLL OF HONOUR




Thomas Deavenport was born in Dallas, Texas, on December 9, 1918. He was valedictorian of the 1935 spring graduating class at North Dallas High School. He graduated in 1939 at Southern Methodist University and won the S. D. Flanz award for his specialty in mathematics.



2nd Lt. Thomas Deavanport enlisted in the USAAF. He completed his navigator training, and joined the 66th Bomb Squadron, in the 44th Bomb Group, the "Flying 8 Balls", in the 8th Air Force, in Britain, 8 Mar 1942.

He was killed in action (KIA). 3 Jan 43, after a combat mission to bomb the U Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. His pilot on the mission was Lt. Erwin flying the B-24D, 41-23806, named, Bat Out of Hell. The airplane crash landed southwest of Haverfordwest, U.K. returning from it's target due to a fuel shortage, which caused the crash. Navigator Lt. Deavenport was badly injured in the crash and died of his wounds in a British hospital (KIA). 8 January 43.



Lt. Deavenport was 25 years old when he gave his life for freedom and his country.

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 8 January 1943 Died of injuries on 8-Jan-43 as a result of a crash landing of the aircraft at Haverfordwest, UK on 3-Jan-43 upon return from a mission to St. Nazaire, France. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) does not have a listing of his remains currently being interred in any American cemetery in Europe. It is possible that his remains were repatriated to the United States after the war.

Born

Dallas, Texas

Revisions

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

2nd Lt. Thomas Gerald Deavenport - Find-A-Grave Memorials

Date
ContributorKickapoo
Changes
Sources

Added details. - Kickapoo

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. 39-40, The 44th BG in WWII by MacKay and Adams p.27