Military
![Lt. Walter [NMI] Baron,[ N. Grosvenor Dale, CT], 364th Fighter Squadron. P-51B 42-106854 C5-B “Peabody’s Pet”. This a/c became lost on 25 August 1944 when Lt. Baron became interned in Sweden. Lt Walter Baron on the wing and Crew Chief Dick Eagan standing.](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/media/media-23636.jpeg?itok=Qbl9NEuu)
Lt. Walter [NMI] Baron,[ N. Grosvenor Dale, CT], 364th Fighter Squadron. P-51B 42-106854 C5-B “Peabody’s Pet”. This a/c became lost on 25 August 1944 when Lt. Baron became interned in Sweden. Lt Walter Baron on the wing and Crew Chief Dick Eagan standing.
North American P-51B 42-106854 "Peabody's Pet" C5-B [Lt Walter Baron] on its belly in the foreground with P-51D 44-13345 'Mary Ann' C5-I bar [Lt Charles Burtner] in the background. Lt Baron's engine started running rough on an escort mission to Rechlin, Gemany. Lt Burtner whose radio was U/S escorted Lt Baron to Lumma, Sweden, where they and their aircraft were interned.
Assigned to 364FS, 357FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) escort to Rechlin, Germany in P-51 42-106854 'Peabody's Pet'. Aborted near Rostock with engine running roughly and made for Sweden. Interned in Sweden. 25-Aug-44. MACR 7948.
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korea medals.
Post war: Remained in USAF till 1962, serving in Korea and rising to the rank of Captain.
Group
The 357th Fighter Group was the first P-51 Mustang Group in the Eighth Air Force, training with them from November 1943 at Raydon, England and entering combat with them in the February of the following year from their new base at Leiston. The Group was...
Squadron
P-51 Mustang
Assigned 376FS, 361FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 364FS, 357FG, 8AF USAAF. Personal aircraft of Lt Walter Baron. Failed to Return (FTR) escort to Rechlin, Gemany. Aborted near Rostock with engine running roughly and made for Sweden. Interned in Sweden....
Military site : airfield
Leiston's location only three miles from the North Sea Coast made it ideal as a Fighter Group air base whose job would be to escort bombers across the sea and over occupied Europe. The air base also witnessed the arrival of many very damaged Allied...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Connecticut, USA | 20 November 1920 |
| Lived in | Grosvenor Dale, Thompson, CT 06255, USA | 1941 |
| Enlisted | Connecticut, USA | 13 January 1942 |
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Connecticut, USA |
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| Crashed | Airport Blvd, Bartow, FL 33830, USA | 17 July 1943 |
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Take Off Accident due to Engine Failure Bartow AAF, Florida Cat 5 damage Lt Walter Baron, 17-Jul-43. P-51A 43-6117 - 56FS 54FG. |
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| Based | Leiston | 12 December 1943 – 25 August 1944 |
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Assigned to 364FS, 357FG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Promotion | Leiston IP16, UK | 2 May 1944 |
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Promoted to 1st Lieutenant. |
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| Interned (INT) | Lomma, Sweden | 25 August 1944 |
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Failed to Return (FTR) escort to Rechlin, Germany in P-51B 'Peabody's Pet' 42-106854. Aborted near Rostock with engine running roughly and made for Sweden. Interned in Sweden. 25-Aug-44. MACR 7948. |
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| Discharged USAAF | October 1945 | |
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Honourable discharge. |
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| Enlisted | 5 February 1958 | |
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Re-enlisted USAF |
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| Discharged USAF | 31 January 1962 | |
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Honourable discharge. |
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| Buried | Riverside National Cemetery Riverside, Riverside County, CA | November 1985 |
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Riverside National Cemetery |
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| Died | California, USA | 11 November 1985 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 31 May 2021 19:23:38 | Al_Skiff | Changes to biography, awards and events |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/record/623267809/walter-baron-1920-veterans-affair... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 12 January 2017 03:33:33 | edsbaron | Changes to nickname |
| Sources | ||
My uncle Walter was always known as Wally to family and friends. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 September 2016 15:32:49 | Al_Skiff | Changes to highest rank, role, biography, awards, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Baron |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:26:44 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 7948 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list |
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