Husband of Frankie A. Baker who resided in Columbia, Missouri.
John served as a Sergeant and Aerial Gunner on B-24J (#44-40479) "Hogan's Hellcats", 758th Bomber Squadron, 459th Bomber Group, Heavy, Fifteenth Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Boone County, Missouri prior to the war.
B-24J #44-40479 took off from Giuilia, Italy on a bombing mission over Munich, Germany. During "bombs away" they were hit by German ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Ottendichl, Germany during the war. 9 out of the 10 crew members were killed on this flight, only one survived.
John was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
John was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 17133510
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40479:
Anderson, Robert L ~ Sgt, Gunner, SC
Baker, John D ~ Sgt, Gunner, MO
Beam, Lydon H, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Beggs, Robert B ~ Sgt, Gunner, WI
Draper, Clinton M ~ Sgt, Gunner, UT
Jensen, William S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MO
Knott, Arthur H ~ FO, Bombardier, NY
Michaels, Walter H ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, PA
Russell, Benjamin J, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio-Op, DE
The only survivor of this flight was:
Brosky, Leonard, 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA, POW
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leonard's hand-written note about the crash reads as follows:
"We dropped bombs and I think about 5 seconds later we went into a spin. I saw the Pilot, Co-Pilot, and Engineer try too leave their seats. I was navigating from the flight deck and using the Radio Operator's table. After my chute opened I looked for other chutes but did not see them. I heard from a gunner in a ship in front of us and the same Sqdn that it blew up in the vicinity of Munich. I don't even remember how my chute opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John served as a Sergeant and Aerial Gunner on B-24J (#44-40479) "Hogan's Hellcats", 758th Bomber Squadron, 459th Bomber Group, Heavy, Fifteenth Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Boone County, Missouri prior to the war.
B-24J #44-40479 took off from Giuilia, Italy on a bombing mission over Munich, Germany. During "bombs away" they were hit by German ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Ottendichl, Germany during the war. 9 out of the 10 crew members were killed on this flight, only one survived.
John was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
John was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 17133510
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40479:
Anderson, Robert L ~ Sgt, Gunner, SC
Baker, John D ~ Sgt, Gunner, MO
Beam, Lydon H, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Beggs, Robert B ~ Sgt, Gunner, WI
Draper, Clinton M ~ Sgt, Gunner, UT
Jensen, William S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MO
Knott, Arthur H ~ FO, Bombardier, NY
Michaels, Walter H ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, PA
Russell, Benjamin J, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio-Op, DE
The only survivor of this flight was:
Brosky, Leonard, 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA, POW
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leonard's hand-written note about the crash reads as follows:
"We dropped bombs and I think about 5 seconds later we went into a spin. I saw the Pilot, Co-Pilot, and Engineer try too leave their seats. I was navigating from the flight deck and using the Radio Operator's table. After my chute opened I looked for other chutes but did not see them. I heard from a gunner in a ship in front of us and the same Sqdn that it blew up in the vicinity of Munich. I don't even remember how my chute opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Husband of Frankie A. Baker who resided in Columbia, Missouri.
John served as a Sergeant and Aerial Gunner on B-24J (#44-40479) "Hogan's Hellcats", 758th Bomber Squadron, 459th Bomber Group, Heavy, Fifteenth Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Boone County, Missouri prior to the war.
B-24J #44-40479 took off from Giuilia, Italy on a bombing mission over Munich, Germany. During "bombs away" they were hit by German ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Ottendichl, Germany during the war. 9 out of the 10 crew members were killed on this flight, only one survived.
John was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
John was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 17133510
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40479:
Anderson, Robert L ~ Sgt, Gunner, SC
Baker, John D ~ Sgt, Gunner, MO
Beam, Lydon H, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Beggs, Robert B ~ Sgt, Gunner, WI
Draper, Clinton M ~ Sgt, Gunner, UT
Jensen, William S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MO
Knott, Arthur H ~ FO, Bombardier, NY
Michaels, Walter H ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, PA
Russell, Benjamin J, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio-Op, DE
The only survivor of this flight was:
Brosky, Leonard, 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA, POW
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leonard's hand-written note about the crash reads as follows:
"We dropped bombs and I think about 5 seconds later we went into a spin. I saw the Pilot, Co-Pilot, and Engineer try too leave their seats. I was navigating from the flight deck and using the Radio Operator's table. After my chute opened I looked for other chutes but did not see them. I heard from a gunner in a ship in front of us and the same Sqdn that it blew up in the vicinity of Munich. I don't even remember how my chute opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John served as a Sergeant and Aerial Gunner on B-24J (#44-40479) "Hogan's Hellcats", 758th Bomber Squadron, 459th Bomber Group, Heavy, Fifteenth Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Boone County, Missouri prior to the war.
B-24J #44-40479 took off from Giuilia, Italy on a bombing mission over Munich, Germany. During "bombs away" they were hit by German ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Ottendichl, Germany during the war. 9 out of the 10 crew members were killed on this flight, only one survived.
John was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
John was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 17133510
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40479:
Anderson, Robert L ~ Sgt, Gunner, SC
Baker, John D ~ Sgt, Gunner, MO
Beam, Lydon H, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Beggs, Robert B ~ Sgt, Gunner, WI
Draper, Clinton M ~ Sgt, Gunner, UT
Jensen, William S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MO
Knott, Arthur H ~ FO, Bombardier, NY
Michaels, Walter H ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, PA
Russell, Benjamin J, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio-Op, DE
The only survivor of this flight was:
Brosky, Leonard, 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA, POW
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leonard's hand-written note about the crash reads as follows:
"We dropped bombs and I think about 5 seconds later we went into a spin. I saw the Pilot, Co-Pilot, and Engineer try too leave their seats. I was navigating from the flight deck and using the Radio Operator's table. After my chute opened I looked for other chutes but did not see them. I heard from a gunner in a ship in front of us and the same Sqdn that it blew up in the vicinity of Munich. I don't even remember how my chute opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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