Richard served as a First Lieutenant and Pilot on B-17F #42-30357, 353rd Bomber Squadron, 301st Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in California prior to the war.
Richard was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17 #42-3251 near Agrambela, Greece during the war.
B-17 #42-29918 and B-17 #42-3251, which were part of the 97th Bomber Group and which had left base earlier, had both lost their formation. With ice forming on their wings they decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircraft made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st formation.
The other B-17 #42-29918 collided into B-17 #42-31396 which was also part of the 301st Bomber Group causing them both to also crash.
( see below )
All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.
Richard was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on March 15, 1949.
Service # O-423430
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30357:
Day, John W ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, ND
DesRuisseau, Roland A ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, MA
Elkin, Jerome ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Harkey, Thomas H ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NC
Shields, Thomas A ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, TX
Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Young, James H ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NH
Airmen who survived the crash of B-17F #42-30357:
Daley, Neil F ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY
Ogens, Monte ~ Sgt, Photographer, WI
Rappleye, Foster D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-29918 see:
Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-3251 see:
Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-31396 see:
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
( Bio & Crew Reports by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
Special thanks to Eric Kreft for submitting this record for bio & crew updates!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in California prior to the war.
Richard was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17 #42-3251 near Agrambela, Greece during the war.
B-17 #42-29918 and B-17 #42-3251, which were part of the 97th Bomber Group and which had left base earlier, had both lost their formation. With ice forming on their wings they decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircraft made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st formation.
The other B-17 #42-29918 collided into B-17 #42-31396 which was also part of the 301st Bomber Group causing them both to also crash.
( see below )
All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.
Richard was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on March 15, 1949.
Service # O-423430
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30357:
Day, John W ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, ND
DesRuisseau, Roland A ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, MA
Elkin, Jerome ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Harkey, Thomas H ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NC
Shields, Thomas A ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, TX
Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Young, James H ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NH
Airmen who survived the crash of B-17F #42-30357:
Daley, Neil F ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY
Ogens, Monte ~ Sgt, Photographer, WI
Rappleye, Foster D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-29918 see:
Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-3251 see:
Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-31396 see:
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
( Bio & Crew Reports by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
Special thanks to Eric Kreft for submitting this record for bio & crew updates!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Richard served as a First Lieutenant and Pilot on B-17F #42-30357, 353rd Bomber Squadron, 301st Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in California prior to the war.
Richard was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17 #42-3251 near Agrambela, Greece during the war.
B-17 #42-29918 and B-17 #42-3251, which were part of the 97th Bomber Group and which had left base earlier, had both lost their formation. With ice forming on their wings they decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircraft made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st formation.
The other B-17 #42-29918 collided into B-17 #42-31396 which was also part of the 301st Bomber Group causing them both to also crash.
( see below )
All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.
Richard was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on March 15, 1949.
Service # O-423430
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30357:
Day, John W ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, ND
DesRuisseau, Roland A ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, MA
Elkin, Jerome ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Harkey, Thomas H ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NC
Shields, Thomas A ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, TX
Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Young, James H ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NH
Airmen who survived the crash of B-17F #42-30357:
Daley, Neil F ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY
Ogens, Monte ~ Sgt, Photographer, WI
Rappleye, Foster D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-29918 see:
Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-3251 see:
Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-31396 see:
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
( Bio & Crew Reports by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
Special thanks to Eric Kreft for submitting this record for bio & crew updates!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in California prior to the war.
Richard was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17 #42-3251 near Agrambela, Greece during the war.
B-17 #42-29918 and B-17 #42-3251, which were part of the 97th Bomber Group and which had left base earlier, had both lost their formation. With ice forming on their wings they decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircraft made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st formation.
The other B-17 #42-29918 collided into B-17 #42-31396 which was also part of the 301st Bomber Group causing them both to also crash.
( see below )
All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.
Richard was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on March 15, 1949.
Service # O-423430
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30357:
Day, John W ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, ND
DesRuisseau, Roland A ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, MA
Elkin, Jerome ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, CA
Harkey, Thomas H ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NC
Shields, Thomas A ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, TX
Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Young, James H ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, NH
Airmen who survived the crash of B-17F #42-30357:
Daley, Neil F ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NY
Ogens, Monte ~ Sgt, Photographer, WI
Rappleye, Foster D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-29918 see:
Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-3251 see:
Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA
~~~~~~~~~~
For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-31396 see:
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
( Bio & Crew Reports by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
Special thanks to Eric Kreft for submitting this record for bio & crew updates!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inscription
1LT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
