Charles Victor Cunningham
MilitaryLinked to A/C
From Revere, MA, Capt. Charles V. Cunningham enlisted on 16 January 1941 in Boston. Assigned to the 370th Fighter Squadron in April 1943 Capt. Cunningham flew 94 combat missions over two tours of duty with the 359th Fighter Group before returning home in August 1944.
29 April 1944: At 0715 briefing was held for Ramrod Penetration mission, the bombers' objective: Berlin. Sixteen planes took off. Three pilots returned early. Capt. Daniel D. McKee crash-landed at Framlingham. He was unhurt, but the plane was destroyed. No property was damaged. R/V with bombers from vicinity of Horn, escort to vicinity of Hanover. Near Elze many E/A attacked bombers, later intercepted by our fighters near Gehrden. Both Me 109s and FW 190, among E/A. Only claim was made by Lt. Cunningham, who destroyed one FW 190, seeing it smoke and spiral, also observing at least ten strikes around cockpit and under fuselage.
April 1943-Aug. 1944
Dec 24, 1943, on return from mission to Pas De Calais area in P-47 when he crashed in Surrey. RTD.
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (5OLC), ADSM, ACM, WWII Victory, EAME (1 x battle star).
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: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Nicknames: Mary Jane
- Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 359th Fighter Group 350th Fighter Squadron 370th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 359th Fighter Group 368th Fighter Group 370th Fighter Squadron 397th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Unit: 359th Fighter Group 406th Fighter Group 370th Fighter Squadron 513th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Nicknames: Invincible Faye
- Unit: 359th Fighter Group 370th Fighter Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
11 November 1918 | Son of William Joseph and Margaret Lillian [Morganti] Cunningham. | |
Other Promotion |
East Wretham, UK | 19 August 1944 | Promoted to Captain. |
Other End Tour of Duty (ETD) |
25 August 1944 | Ended Tour of Duty (ETD). | |
Died |
25 April 1991 | ||
Buried |
Florida National Cemetery Bushnell, Sumter County, FL | 28 April 1991 | Florida National Cemetery Bushnell, Sumter County, Florida |
Revere, Massachusetts | |||
Based |
East Wretham | 25 August 1944 | Assigned to 370FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Changes to awards in Bio Field
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/544249/charles-victor-cunningham
NARA files verified ASN upon entry, DFC w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster and AM w/5 Oak Leaf Clusters. He earned at least one bronze star device on the EAME Campaign Medal.
Transferred biography by Janet Fogg, 359th Fighter Group Historian from media record
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list / Unit History, Losses of the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces Vol. I, p. 439