Skip to main content
Edit entry 

Gordon Eugene Hetu

Military

Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed near Erxleben, Germany in B-17 'Lazy Daisy' 42-31222 as a result of a mid-air collision with B-17 43-37822 'Lead Banana'.

Awards: AM (2OLC), PH.

Service

People

  • James Brodie

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 545BS, 384BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Magdeburg in B-17 'Lazy Daisy' 42-31222 28-Sep-44. Crashed near Erxleben Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 9366. ...

  • Robert Crumpton

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) Mid-Air Collision with B-17 43-37822, LEAD BANANNA. Crashed near Erxleben in B-17 'Lazy Daisy' #42-31222, Missing Air Crew Report #9366.

Show more

Units served with

  • 384th Bomb Group

    384th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by...

  • 545th Bomb Squadron

    545th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

Aircraft

  • 42-31222 Lazy Daisy

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Denver 4/10/43; Gr Island 17/10/43; Memphis 24/10/43; Assigned 545BS/384BG [JD-D] Grafton Underwood 546 [BK-D] 23/11/43; Missing in Action Magdeburg (Berlin) 28/9/44 with Jim Brodie, Co-pilot: Lloyd Vevle, ng-Byron Atkins, Flight engineer/top...

Associated Place

  • Grafton Underwood

    Military site : airfield
    Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for...

Events

Event Location Date
Born Detroit, MI, USA 26 September 1925

Son of Raymond J Hetu.
Enlisted Detroit, MI, USA 24 June 1943
Assigned 26 July 1944

Assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 545th Bomb Squadron on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #148 dated 26 July 1944, James Joseph Brodie Crew. 19 combat missions.
Killed in Action Erxleben, Germany 28 September 1944

Collided with 43‑37822 over target; both ships went down on fire and out of control; no chutes observed; crashed near Erxleben, Germany; MACR 9366.
Buried Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Novi, MI 1948

buried at Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens in Oakland County, Michigan.
Nationality
American
Nickname
Not yet known
Service numbers
16189148
Highest rank
Sergeant
Role/job
Ball Turret Gunner
Awards
  • Air Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
  • Purple Heart

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
24 October 2019 13:58:23 Al_Skiff Changes to service number, biography, events and unit associations
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28679773
https://www.fold3.com/record/84505751-gordon-e-hetu
https://www.fold3.com/image/310763863?rec=299481086
https://www.fold3.com/image/317716322?terms=hetu,gordon,e
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/203554666/gordon-eugene-hetu
Date Contributor Update
10 June 2015 13:41:40 bombercommand Changes to middlename, biography, awards and events
Sources

http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=5866
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:11:36 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 9366 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Share