Corporal Bongiovanni served with the 325th Base Unit at
Avon Park Army Airfield, Florida.
He was the Radio Operator and one of eight aviators killed when B-17G Flying Fortress
#42-102835 crashed into Lake Arbuckle, three miles north-west of the air base.
Shortly after takeoff, the B-17 attained an altitude of about 3,000 feet, at which time the tail gunner informed the pilots that the № 4 engine was smoking. Moments later, he informed them that the motor was on fire. The pilots gave an order to bail out. Just seconds after the tail gunner secured his parachute harness, the motor exploded and fell off the wing, and the aircraft went into a spiraling dive. He was the only crewmember to exit the bomber before it impacted the water of Lake Arbuckle, Florida.
The crewmembers killed were:
2nd Lt. James C Murphy, O-780692, Pilot
Flt. Off. George P Gaudet, T-006266, Co-Pilot
Flt. Off. John C Evernden, T-133945, Navigator
2nd Lt. Mortimer A Alnwick, O2064163, Bombardier
Sgt. Harvey R Ford, 34134100, Flight Engineer
Cpl. Salvatore C Bongiovanni, 32894265, Radio Operator
Cpl. George L Heffington, 35708119, Gunner
PFC Frank W Bannerman, Jr, 32988228, Asst. Radio Operator
~
Entered the service from New York County; ASN 32894265.
Enlisted at NYC, April 22, 1943.
Avon Park Army Airfield, Florida.
He was the Radio Operator and one of eight aviators killed when B-17G Flying Fortress
#42-102835 crashed into Lake Arbuckle, three miles north-west of the air base.
Shortly after takeoff, the B-17 attained an altitude of about 3,000 feet, at which time the tail gunner informed the pilots that the № 4 engine was smoking. Moments later, he informed them that the motor was on fire. The pilots gave an order to bail out. Just seconds after the tail gunner secured his parachute harness, the motor exploded and fell off the wing, and the aircraft went into a spiraling dive. He was the only crewmember to exit the bomber before it impacted the water of Lake Arbuckle, Florida.
The crewmembers killed were:
2nd Lt. James C Murphy, O-780692, Pilot
Flt. Off. George P Gaudet, T-006266, Co-Pilot
Flt. Off. John C Evernden, T-133945, Navigator
2nd Lt. Mortimer A Alnwick, O2064163, Bombardier
Sgt. Harvey R Ford, 34134100, Flight Engineer
Cpl. Salvatore C Bongiovanni, 32894265, Radio Operator
Cpl. George L Heffington, 35708119, Gunner
PFC Frank W Bannerman, Jr, 32988228, Asst. Radio Operator
~
Entered the service from New York County; ASN 32894265.
Enlisted at NYC, April 22, 1943.
Corporal Bongiovanni served with the 325th Base Unit at
Avon Park Army Airfield, Florida.
He was the Radio Operator and one of eight aviators killed when B-17G Flying Fortress
#42-102835 crashed into Lake Arbuckle, three miles north-west of the air base.
Shortly after takeoff, the B-17 attained an altitude of about 3,000 feet, at which time the tail gunner informed the pilots that the № 4 engine was smoking. Moments later, he informed them that the motor was on fire. The pilots gave an order to bail out. Just seconds after the tail gunner secured his parachute harness, the motor exploded and fell off the wing, and the aircraft went into a spiraling dive. He was the only crewmember to exit the bomber before it impacted the water of Lake Arbuckle, Florida.
The crewmembers killed were:
2nd Lt. James C Murphy, O-780692, Pilot
Flt. Off. George P Gaudet, T-006266, Co-Pilot
Flt. Off. John C Evernden, T-133945, Navigator
2nd Lt. Mortimer A Alnwick, O2064163, Bombardier
Sgt. Harvey R Ford, 34134100, Flight Engineer
Cpl. Salvatore C Bongiovanni, 32894265, Radio Operator
Cpl. George L Heffington, 35708119, Gunner
PFC Frank W Bannerman, Jr, 32988228, Asst. Radio Operator
~
Entered the service from New York County; ASN 32894265.
Enlisted at NYC, April 22, 1943.
Avon Park Army Airfield, Florida.
He was the Radio Operator and one of eight aviators killed when B-17G Flying Fortress
#42-102835 crashed into Lake Arbuckle, three miles north-west of the air base.
Shortly after takeoff, the B-17 attained an altitude of about 3,000 feet, at which time the tail gunner informed the pilots that the № 4 engine was smoking. Moments later, he informed them that the motor was on fire. The pilots gave an order to bail out. Just seconds after the tail gunner secured his parachute harness, the motor exploded and fell off the wing, and the aircraft went into a spiraling dive. He was the only crewmember to exit the bomber before it impacted the water of Lake Arbuckle, Florida.
The crewmembers killed were:
2nd Lt. James C Murphy, O-780692, Pilot
Flt. Off. George P Gaudet, T-006266, Co-Pilot
Flt. Off. John C Evernden, T-133945, Navigator
2nd Lt. Mortimer A Alnwick, O2064163, Bombardier
Sgt. Harvey R Ford, 34134100, Flight Engineer
Cpl. Salvatore C Bongiovanni, 32894265, Radio Operator
Cpl. George L Heffington, 35708119, Gunner
PFC Frank W Bannerman, Jr, 32988228, Asst. Radio Operator
~
Entered the service from New York County; ASN 32894265.
Enlisted at NYC, April 22, 1943.
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