Michael Kochel
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 28 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).
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Allan Brooke Ainley Jr
Military
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"Lt. Kochel and crew of the 401st Bomb Group, in front of a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Spirit Of Bloomfield" at an 8th Air Force Base in England, 20 November 1944." Rear L-R: Joseph Concino, Raymond Callahan, Michael Kochel, Allan Ainley Jr, Thomas Kelly. Front L-R: Dewey Wofford, Charles Beeson, Kenneth Cobbs.
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1st Lt Allan B Ainley:- Air medal award card. 401BG.
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1st Lt Allan B Ainley:- DFC award card. 401BG.
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 28 x combat missions. Michael Kochel crew. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (4OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (3 x Battle Stars)
Service
People
Units served with
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401st Bomb Group
Group
The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following... -
615th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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42-102468 'Farmer's Daughter'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/3/44; Hunter 7/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-C] Deenethorpe 3/5/44; 614BS [IW-S]; 106m, Returned to the USA Bradley 7/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 14/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for... -
42-102674 Packawalup III
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 25/3/44; Kearney 12/4/44; Grenier 29/4/44; Assigned 94BG Rougham 1/5/44; transferred 615BS/401BG [IY-M] Deenethorpe 19/5/44; battle damaged Frankfurt 5/11/44, force-landed at Great Dunmow, U.K. after sustaining extensive battle... -
42-31485 Old Ironsides
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/10/43; Gr Island 21/11/43; La Guardia 29/11/43; New York 1/12/43; Presque Is 2/12/43; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-X] Deenethorpe 6/1/44; RAF Stornaway 5/4/44, ret grp 6/4/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 9/6/45; Syracuse 10/6... -
42-97636
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 13/1/44; 1SAG Langley 4/2/44; Presque Is 13/3/44; Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-P] Bassingbourn 27/4/44; transferred 351BG [ -L] Polebrook 14/6/44; 615BS/401BG [IY-H] Deenethorpe 26/8/44; in base landing accident with Paul Campbell 18/2/45;... -
42-97947
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 12/4/44; 1SAG Langley 16/6/44; Grenier 6/7/44; Assigned 351BG Polebrook 8/7/44; transferred 612BS/401BG [SC-U] Deenethorpe 7/8/44; 613BS; transferred 305BG Chelveston 20/8/44; Salvaged 9AF Germany 10/5/46. -
43-38077 'Tagalong', 'Duke's Mixture'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 22/6/44; Hunter 14/7/44; Grenier 24/7/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-Q] Deenethorpe 5/8/44 DUKE'S MIXTURE; 614BS [IW-H]; Returned to the USA Bradley 6//6/45; 4169 BU Sth Plains 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap... -
43-38125 Mary Makers
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/6/44; Hunter 13/7/44; Dow Fd 26/7/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-D] Deenethorpe 5/8/44; collided during assembly for Sterkrade 22/1/45 with Bob Deen, crashed three miles SE RAF Saltby, UK; Salvaged 24/1/45. -
44-8258
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 28/7/44; Hunter 29/8/44; Dow Fd 2/9/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-A] Deenethorpe 5/10/44; battle damaged Mannheim 11/12/44 with Capt Chapman; force landed Melsbroek A/fd, Bel; destroyed on ground by enemy aircraft 1/1/45; Salvaged 2/1/45. -
44-8371 'Badland Bat II', 'Freckles'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 23/8/44; Langley 29/8/44; Dow Fd 20/10/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-M] 1/12/44 FRECKLES, a PFF ship; Missing in Action Minster Stein 16/2/45 with Capt Stephen Lozinski, Maj Melvin Pfund, Lou Rush, Cyril Martin, Joe Concino, Chas Smith,... -
44-8449
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 19/9/44; Hunter 15/10/44; Dow Fd 25/10/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-F] Deenethorpe 10/11/44; 613BS [IN-P]; transferred 305BG Chelveston 19/4/45; Salvaged 9AF Germany 23/5/46.
Missions
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552
14 August 1944
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562
18 August 1944
We led the Wing to France to bomb a fuel dump. Made 3 runs on the target. We hit it on the third run. Major Harmon flew Pilot; 12000 feet altitude. -
568
24 August 1944
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570
25 August 1944
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572
25 August 1944
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584
27 August 1944
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623
11 September 1944
Major Harmon flew Command Pilot. Did not hit the target because Mickey wasn't working. Brought our bombs back. Got to shoot at some fighters. -
628
13 September 1944
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642
19 September 1944
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652
28 September 1944
Associated Place
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Deenethorpe
Military site : airfield
Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Bronx, NY | 26 March 1924 |
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Son Allan Brooke of Sr and Alice Ainley. |
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| Enlisted | Philadelphia, PA | 15 December 1942 |
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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
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| Based | Deenethorpe | August 1944 – April 1945 |
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Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Discharged USAAF | 22 November 1945 | |
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Honourable discharge. |
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| Died | Branford, CT | 26 December 1988 |
| Buried | Branford Center Cemetery Branford, New Haven County, CT | 29 December 1988 |
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Branford Center Cemetery |
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