Thomas Henry Gilliland
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Object Number - UPL 34007 - Gilliland, Thomas Henry
On 13 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24498 while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner the aircraft sustained a mid-air collision with B-17F 41-24471 "Four of a Kind" 306BG/369BS just north of the intended target at Lille, France. He was killed in the collision. Killed in Action (KIA).
Awards: PH.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17024209 / O-442297
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group
Missions
- Date: 13 January 1943
Places
![A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to Picture Post Girls in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24471) nicknamed "Four of a Kind" at Thurleigh in December 1942. Image stamped on reverse: '"Picture Post" [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 11 Dec 1942.' [stamp], '238038.' [Censor no.] Handwritten in censor's blue pencil on reverse: 'American Flying Fortress crew are introduced to the girls they will meet at Picture Post Xmas Party.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379028.jpg.webp?itok=6Gc6iR0j)
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Cameron, TX 76520, USA | 4 February 1920 | BornCameron, Texas |
|
Died Killed in Action (KIA) |
Marcq-en-Barœul, France | 13 January 1943 | Killed when aircraft sustained a mid-air collision with another B-17 near the target of Lille, France, Aircraft crashed at Marcq-en-Baroeul, France. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) has no current listing that this airman is interred in any AMerican Cemetery in Europe. One other KIA in this crew was interred in the Epinal American Cemetery. It is possible that his remains were also interred there at sometime but were repatriated to the United States after the war. the other possibility is that that aircraft burned when it crashed and his remains were never recovered. |
|
Buried |
Hillcrest Cemetery, Temple, TX | 15 December 1948 | Remains were repatriated to Hillcrest Cemetery, Temple, TX. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 20-Jan-2015. Made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; Edited Biography per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; added KIA event, crew position and SN per MACR 15634.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey, p. 63, MACR 15502, WWII Memorial Web site
