Reuben Baganz
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 487th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) when B-17G #43-38926 'Weary Willy' piloted by Lieutenant William J. Waldron was attacked by fighters on 24 Dec 1944.
William J Waldron
Military
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William J. Waldron Crew at the completion of B-17 crew training at Ardmore, Oklahoma, about September 1944. B-17G-45-VE #44-8055 - 222nd Base Unit - Ardmore AAF Back row (L to R): William J. Waldron (pilot), Oscar F. Eshleman (copilot), Joseph S. Shuster (navigator), and Russell C. Neu (bombardier) Front row (L to R): Benedict A. Andrew (engineer-top turret gunner), George J. Ferenchak (radio operator), Eugene S. Isley (armorer-waist gunner), Charles K. Brokke (waist gunner), Reuben F. Baganz (ball turret gunner), and James P. Naughton (tail gunner). The crew deployed to England and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group, at Army Air Forces Station 137 near the village of Lavenham, Suffolk, England on 19 October 1944. Charles Brokke was taken off the crew after arrival at Lavenham. The crew flew with only waist gunner, as was the custom at that time. The crew was shot down near Liege, Belgium on December 24, 1944. Eshleman, Shuster, Andrew, Ferenchak, Baganz, and Naughton were killed in action. Waldron, Neu, and Isley survived.
On 24 Dec 1944, B-17G #43-38926 'Weary Willy' piloted by Lieutenant William J. Waldron was attacked by fighters and crashed in Belgium near where a tank battle raged. Waldron and Russell Neu survived and returned.
Purple Heart, Air Medal w/Oak Leaf Clusters
Service
People
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Oscar Eshleman
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot, Co-Pilot | 487th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA). B-17G #43-38926 'Weary Willy' Exploded in air after being hit by enemy aircraft fire. -
George Ferenchak
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Radio Operator | 487th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA). B-17G #43-38926 'Weary Willy' piloted by Lieutenant William J. Waldron was attacked by fighters. Exploded in air after being hit by enemy aircraft. Crashed in Belgium AM w/ Oak Leaf Cluster -
Eugene Isley
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 487th Bomb Group
All but 3 crew members killed when B-17G #43-38926 'Weary Willy' piloted by Lieutenant William J. Waldron was attacked by fighters and crashed in Belgium. Isley, Russel Neu and Walron survived. -
James Naughton
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Tail Gunner | 487th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) when B-17G #43-38926 'Weary Willy' piloted by Lieutenant William J. Waldron was attacked by fighters -
Russell Neu
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 487th Bomb Group
Survived when B-17G #43-38926 'Weary Willy' piloted by Lieutenant William J. Waldron was attacked by fighters and crashed near Chateau de Warnomont in Belgium. Rescued by 2 Belgians and picked up by Military Police Companys attached to armed division....
Units served with
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487th Bomb Group
Group
The 487th Bomb Group began operations as preparations for D-Day were reaching their crescendo and played their part by bombing airfields in northern France. Like the 486th Bomb Group, the 487th switched to B-17 Flying Fortress for missions from 1... -
836th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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43-38926
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 12/10/44; Grenier 22/10/44; Assigned 836BS/487BG Lavenham 2/12/44; Missing in Action Darmstadt 24/12/44 with ?; mid air coll with FW 190 en route target; crashed Belgium; Missing Air Crew Report 11675.
Associated Place
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Lavenham
Military site : airfield
Lavenham was built as a standard USAAF bomber airfield, with fifty hardstandings, T2 hangars and 2,000 and 1,400 feet runways. John Laing and Son Ltd. carried out the work in 1943, and the airfield opened in April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group occupied...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Bellville, New Jersey | 16 December 1916 |
| Shot Down | Rouvreux, 4140 Sprimont, Belgium | 24 December 1944 |
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Blown clear of the a/c when it blew up after being attacked by German fighters. |
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| Died | Key Largo, FL 33037, USA | 15 January 1986 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 August 2016 23:14:49 | 466thHistorian | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
"The History of the 487th BG" - Ivo De Jong |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 August 2016 23:13:26 | 466thHistorian | Changes to events, place associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
"The History of the 487th BG" - Ivo De Jong |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:28:24 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / The History of the 487th BG Roll of Honor pp. 302-5 and account pp 197-8 MACR 11675 / http://www.487thbg.org/Photos/WaldronCrew.shtml |
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