Donivan served as a Staff Sergeant & Tail Gunner on B-17G "Full House" #43-37666, 427th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma & was previously a member of the Oklahoma National Guard prior to the war.
The National Guard unit he was previously a member of was called into full time active Army service on December 10, 1941 from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since he had only been out of the Guard for less than three months he was called back into service with the unit. He was noted, at that time, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-37666 took off, with a crew of 9, from England on a mission of Tactical Support of Ground Troops near Metz, Germany. Shortly after takeoff B-17G #43-37666 was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17 #43-38057 piloted by 2nd Lt. Stanley E. Pursel. Both B-17s crashed near Wenlock, Shropshire, England.
Donivan was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 20838790
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-37666:
Bryan, Fred W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, FL
Davis, Robert W. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, UT
Henry, Donivan D. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, OK
Hiibner, Okey L. ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, UT
Johnson, Charles H. ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, WV
Martin, Walter E., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Pope, Lester L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Sayre, Dorwin D. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, WV
Smirnes, Nick, Jr. ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, MI
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For those lost on B-17 #43-38057 see:
Cecce, Joseph A., Jr. ~ F/O, Navigator, MD
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma & was previously a member of the Oklahoma National Guard prior to the war.
The National Guard unit he was previously a member of was called into full time active Army service on December 10, 1941 from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since he had only been out of the Guard for less than three months he was called back into service with the unit. He was noted, at that time, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-37666 took off, with a crew of 9, from England on a mission of Tactical Support of Ground Troops near Metz, Germany. Shortly after takeoff B-17G #43-37666 was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17 #43-38057 piloted by 2nd Lt. Stanley E. Pursel. Both B-17s crashed near Wenlock, Shropshire, England.
Donivan was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 20838790
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-37666:
Bryan, Fred W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, FL
Davis, Robert W. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, UT
Henry, Donivan D. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, OK
Hiibner, Okey L. ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, UT
Johnson, Charles H. ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, WV
Martin, Walter E., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Pope, Lester L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Sayre, Dorwin D. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, WV
Smirnes, Nick, Jr. ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, MI
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For those lost on B-17 #43-38057 see:
Cecce, Joseph A., Jr. ~ F/O, Navigator, MD
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donivan served as a Staff Sergeant & Tail Gunner on B-17G "Full House" #43-37666, 427th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma & was previously a member of the Oklahoma National Guard prior to the war.
The National Guard unit he was previously a member of was called into full time active Army service on December 10, 1941 from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since he had only been out of the Guard for less than three months he was called back into service with the unit. He was noted, at that time, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-37666 took off, with a crew of 9, from England on a mission of Tactical Support of Ground Troops near Metz, Germany. Shortly after takeoff B-17G #43-37666 was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17 #43-38057 piloted by 2nd Lt. Stanley E. Pursel. Both B-17s crashed near Wenlock, Shropshire, England.
Donivan was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 20838790
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-37666:
Bryan, Fred W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, FL
Davis, Robert W. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, UT
Henry, Donivan D. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, OK
Hiibner, Okey L. ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, UT
Johnson, Charles H. ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, WV
Martin, Walter E., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Pope, Lester L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Sayre, Dorwin D. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, WV
Smirnes, Nick, Jr. ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, MI
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For those lost on B-17 #43-38057 see:
Cecce, Joseph A., Jr. ~ F/O, Navigator, MD
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma & was previously a member of the Oklahoma National Guard prior to the war.
The National Guard unit he was previously a member of was called into full time active Army service on December 10, 1941 from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since he had only been out of the Guard for less than three months he was called back into service with the unit. He was noted, at that time, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-37666 took off, with a crew of 9, from England on a mission of Tactical Support of Ground Troops near Metz, Germany. Shortly after takeoff B-17G #43-37666 was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17 #43-38057 piloted by 2nd Lt. Stanley E. Pursel. Both B-17s crashed near Wenlock, Shropshire, England.
Donivan was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 20838790
( Bio by: Russ Pickett )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-37666:
Bryan, Fred W. ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, FL
Davis, Robert W. ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, UT
Henry, Donivan D. ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, OK
Hiibner, Okey L. ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, UT
Johnson, Charles H. ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, WV
Martin, Walter E., Jr. ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Pope, Lester L. ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Sayre, Dorwin D. ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, WV
Smirnes, Nick, Jr. ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, MI
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For those lost on B-17 #43-38057 see:
Cecce, Joseph A., Jr. ~ F/O, Navigator, MD
( Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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