Fredrick Earl Fagan Jr
Military ROLL OF HONOURAll information correct as on Roll of Honor board
Killed in Action (KIA) on 8/1/43 while on TDY to 9thAF for Ploesti raid in B-24 'Jersey Bounce 2nd' 42-40609.
Frederick Earl Fagan, Jr. was born on 4 Nov 1920 in Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania, USA. His parents were Frederick Earl Fagan Sarah Michael.
Fred grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He completed one year of high school and began working as a baggageman for the Pennsylvania railroad.
Fred was inducted into the US Army on 9 July 1942 and took radio training at Scott Field, Illinois. He took 5 weeks of intensive gunnery classes at Harlinger Army School, Texas. Afterwards he received his silver wings and sergeant's rank in February 1943.
Fred flew several bombing missions aboard the Jersey Bounce over the Holy City of Rome, Italy in an attempt shake the citizens of Rome into rejecting the control of Mussolini and Hitler. For his actions he received the Air Medal.
On 1 Aug 1943, Fred was killed in action when the B-24 Jersey Bounce and the crew flew a mission over the oil field in Ploieşti, Prahova, Romania. Fred was a Radio Operator. According to Wikipedia "The bombing of Ploiești on 1 August 1943 (Operation Tidal Wave) was a far more serious affair. Tidal Wave heavily damaged four refineries and more lightly affected three; it damaged the Ploiești rail station but did not have much impact on the city itself. Câmpina was more severely damaged. 660 American aircrew were killed or captured, while petroleum exports exceeded pre-Tidal Wave levels by October." For his actions during this battle Fred received these decorations for the Army Air Force--Distinquished Flying Cross and Oak Leaf Cluster posthumously. The citation read: For distinquished and meritorious achievements while participating in the operations against the Ploieşti Oil Refineries of Rumania on August 1, 1943. In carrying out a low-level, long-range attack on an enemy target of extraordinary importance, these men of the 330th Bombardment Squadron, the 93rd Bombardment Group under conditions of great difficulty and danger, contributed immensely to inflicting on the enemy one of the most damaging blows it has ever received. Flying through one of the world's heaviest barrages of flak, and amid swarms of enemy fighter planes, they strafed and bombed their objective, causing very extensive destruction. The fearlessness, devotion to duty, and indomitable fighting spirit they exhibited constitute a magnificent example of heroism for all the men of the United States Army Air Forces.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Jersey Bounce
- Unit: 93rd Bomb Group 330th Bomb Squadron 8th Air Force Finance
Missions
- Date: 1 August 1943
- Official Description:
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Killed in action |
1 August 1943 | ||
Born |
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
Revisions
Pennsylvania, Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966
Pennsylvania, Veterans Burial Cards, 1777-2012
Flyer Killed Newspaper Article (Harrisburg Telegraph; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Thu, Nov 4, 1943 – Page 8 Newspapers.com)
Gunner Missing; Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania); 25 Aug 1943, Wed • Page 1
Two City Soldiers; The Evening News; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Thu, Nov 4, 1943 – Page 20; Newspapers.com
Parents Awarded Army Decoration for Son, Killed; Harrisburg Telegraph; Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Tue, Nov 30, 1943 – Page 9; Newspapers.com
Parents Receive D.F.C. Awarded to Sgt. Fagan; The Evening News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania); 30 Nov 1943, Tue • Page 11
Three City Fliers; The Evening News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania); 17 Nov 1943, Wed • Page 1
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current''' [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?]
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 335