Gilbert served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Latah County, Idaho prior to the war.
He was single.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on July 1, 1942 in Spokane, Washington. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Three airmen were Killed in the crash, two died while POW's, two were "executed" while POW's and four survived as POW's and all four of them also survived the war.
Gilbert was "Killed In Action", along with 2 other airmen (Linsley & Bleiler), during the crash.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 19095893
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Latah County, Idaho prior to the war.
He was single.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on July 1, 1942 in Spokane, Washington. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Three airmen were Killed in the crash, two died while POW's, two were "executed" while POW's and four survived as POW's and all four of them also survived the war.
Gilbert was "Killed In Action", along with 2 other airmen (Linsley & Bleiler), during the crash.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 19095893
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilbert served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Latah County, Idaho prior to the war.
He was single.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on July 1, 1942 in Spokane, Washington. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Three airmen were Killed in the crash, two died while POW's, two were "executed" while POW's and four survived as POW's and all four of them also survived the war.
Gilbert was "Killed In Action", along with 2 other airmen (Linsley & Bleiler), during the crash.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 19095893
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Latah County, Idaho prior to the war.
He was single.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on July 1, 1942 in Spokane, Washington. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Three airmen were Killed in the crash, two died while POW's, two were "executed" while POW's and four survived as POW's and all four of them also survived the war.
Gilbert was "Killed In Action", along with 2 other airmen (Linsley & Bleiler), during the crash.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 19095893
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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