Sergeant Arthur Clair Frey, Army serial number 16111547, was born on August 10, 1921 at Washentaw County, Michigan, probably on the family farm in Manchester Township. His parents were Walter John Frey (12 Aug 1895 – 28 May 1969), who was born at Norvell Township, Jackson County, Michigan; and Nellie J. (Sutton) Frey (1893 – 1956), who was born at Manchester, Michigan. By 1917 his father was a farmer in Manchester Township. His parents married at Manchester, Michigan on August 11, 1918. His father served in the U.S. Navy during World War I.
He had a younger sister, Marjorie A. 'Margie' (Frey) Brazee (1923 – ). In 1940 he lived with his parents and sister on a farm on English Road in Manchester Township, Michigan. He completed four years of high school and worked as a construction laborer.
He registered for the draft at Manchester, Washtenaw County, Michigan on February 16, 1942. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighed 160 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. At that time he worked for Ford Motor Company in Manchester, Michigan. He was single and worked as a mechanic and repairman when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Detroit, Michigan on October 9, 1942. His home of record was Rural Route 2, Manchester, Washtenaw County, Michigan.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training, and was assigned as nose turret gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Doyle L. Simons. In December 1943 the Simons crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field in Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944 the crew was assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 crew training and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. Sgt Frey is not listed in the 487th Bomb Group flight echelon deployment order from Alamogordo, so he probably traveled overseas with the ground echelon aboard the troop ship SS Duchess of Bedford, and rejoined the crew in England in April 1944.
The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After the Group arrived in England, Lt Simons was grounded with appendicitis and was replaced as First Pilot by 2/Lt Lorin D. McCleary Jr. Here is Lt McCleary's crew roster on May 11, 1944:
B-24H 42-52444 – 838th Bomb Squadron
• McCleary, Lorin D – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• McCoy, Ernest E – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Kramer, Victor S – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Perry, Joseph D – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Owens, Harold E – S/Sgt – Engineer – POW
• McKee, Eugene – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Frey, Arthur C – Sgt – Nose Turret Gunner – KIA
• Churm, Paul K – Sgt – Top Turret Gunner – KIA
• Barboza, Clemente M – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Knapp, Dale L – Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner – KIA
On May 11, 1944, the McCleary crew took off from Lavenham in B-24H 42-52444 on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Chaumont, France. The secondary target was Troyes. The 487th Bomb Group formation never reached the target. Navigational error resulted in the formation flying over accurate German flak guns guarding the airfield at Chateaudun, France. Sgt Frey and eight of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by flak over Chateaudun. Missing Air Crew Report 4782 reports, "He [Sgt Frey, nose turret gunner] reported flak 12:00, zero elevation." The aircraft took a direct flak hit in the nose and flight deck and started burning at the engines. It went into a dive, exploded in the air, and crashed 3 kilometers east of Varize, France, near Bazoches-en-Dunois. One man, Staff Sergeant Harold E. Owens, was blown clear and survived.
The dead were recovered by German troops, who buried them at the Grand Cimetière in Orleans, France. Sgt Frey's remains were returned to the United States and interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, on November 10, 1948. He is buried in Section 12, Site 4108.
A memorial plaque was dedicated to the McCleary crew at Varize, France on May 9, 2015. The plaque was made possible through the efforts of Jean Pierre and Forced Landing Association, in collaboration with the municipalities of Varize and Bazoches-en-Dunois, France. The plaque is mounted in an entry alcove of the thirteenth-century Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (Eglise Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul) in Varize (map coordinates 48.096472°N, 1.513639°E).
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1900 US Census; Michigan; Jackson County; Norvell Township. Frey, Christian. 14 Jun 1900 (his father's father)
3. 1910 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County; Manchester Township. Frey, Christ. 27 Apr 1910 (his father's father)
4. 1920 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County; Manchester Township. Frey, Christian. 12 Jan 1920 (his father's father)
5. 1920 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County, Manchester Township. Sutton, George M. 30 Jan 1920 (his mother's father)
6. 1930 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County, Manchester Township. Frey, Walter. 23 Apr 1930 (his father)
7. 1940 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County; Manchester Township; English Road. Frey, Walter. 9 Apr 1940 (his father)
8. Chamberlain, Mark. Memorial Ceremony Photos – Varize, France, 9 May 2015. (Photos of the plaque dedication ceremony for the Lorin D. McCleary Jr crew)
9. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
10. Enlistment record of Arthur C. Frey
11. Forced Landing Association, Eure-et-Loire, France. Point of contact: Jean Pierre
12. HQ, 359th Combat Crew Training School, Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. Special Orders Number 71. 11 Mar 1944 (487th Bomb Group flight echelon orders to proceed from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Herington, Kansas during the deployment to England)
13. HQ, Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona. Special Orders Number 1. 1 Jan 1944 (transfer of fifty heavy bomber combat crews, less navigators, from Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona, to the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico)
14. Michigan Births, 1867–1901: Walter John Frey was born at Norvell, Jackson County, Michigan on 12 Aug 1895; parents: Chris Frey and Mary E. Frey (his father)
15. Michigan Marriages, 1868–1925: Walter John Frey and Nellie Junita Sutton married at Norvell, Jackson County, Michigan on 11 Aug 1918. (his parents)
16. U.S. Army. Arlington National Cemetery
17. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 4782
18. U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928–1962 (ancestry.com)
19. U.S. National World War II Memorial Registry. World War II Honoree Arthur Frey (honored by Richard I. Mann, a friend)
20. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939–1945
21. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
22. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
23. World War I Draft Registration of Walter J. Frey. 5 Jun 1917 (his father)
24. Word War II Draft Registration of Walter J. Frey. 27 Apr 1942 (his father)
Research by:
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Last edited 1 Apr 2024
Sergeant Arthur Clair Frey, Army serial number 16111547, was born on August 10, 1921 at Washentaw County, Michigan, probably on the family farm in Manchester Township. His parents were Walter John Frey (12 Aug 1895 – 28 May 1969), who was born at Norvell Township, Jackson County, Michigan; and Nellie J. (Sutton) Frey (1893 – 1956), who was born at Manchester, Michigan. By 1917 his father was a farmer in Manchester Township. His parents married at Manchester, Michigan on August 11, 1918. His father served in the U.S. Navy during World War I.
He had a younger sister, Marjorie A. 'Margie' (Frey) Brazee (1923 – ). In 1940 he lived with his parents and sister on a farm on English Road in Manchester Township, Michigan. He completed four years of high school and worked as a construction laborer.
He registered for the draft at Manchester, Washtenaw County, Michigan on February 16, 1942. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighed 160 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. At that time he worked for Ford Motor Company in Manchester, Michigan. He was single and worked as a mechanic and repairman when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Detroit, Michigan on October 9, 1942. His home of record was Rural Route 2, Manchester, Washtenaw County, Michigan.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training, and was assigned as nose turret gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Doyle L. Simons. In December 1943 the Simons crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field in Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944 the crew was assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 crew training and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. Sgt Frey is not listed in the 487th Bomb Group flight echelon deployment order from Alamogordo, so he probably traveled overseas with the ground echelon aboard the troop ship SS Duchess of Bedford, and rejoined the crew in England in April 1944.
The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After the Group arrived in England, Lt Simons was grounded with appendicitis and was replaced as First Pilot by 2/Lt Lorin D. McCleary Jr. Here is Lt McCleary's crew roster on May 11, 1944:
B-24H 42-52444 – 838th Bomb Squadron
• McCleary, Lorin D – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• McCoy, Ernest E – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Kramer, Victor S – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Perry, Joseph D – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Owens, Harold E – S/Sgt – Engineer – POW
• McKee, Eugene – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Frey, Arthur C – Sgt – Nose Turret Gunner – KIA
• Churm, Paul K – Sgt – Top Turret Gunner – KIA
• Barboza, Clemente M – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Knapp, Dale L – Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner – KIA
On May 11, 1944, the McCleary crew took off from Lavenham in B-24H 42-52444 on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Chaumont, France. The secondary target was Troyes. The 487th Bomb Group formation never reached the target. Navigational error resulted in the formation flying over accurate German flak guns guarding the airfield at Chateaudun, France. Sgt Frey and eight of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by flak over Chateaudun. Missing Air Crew Report 4782 reports, "He [Sgt Frey, nose turret gunner] reported flak 12:00, zero elevation." The aircraft took a direct flak hit in the nose and flight deck and started burning at the engines. It went into a dive, exploded in the air, and crashed 3 kilometers east of Varize, France, near Bazoches-en-Dunois. One man, Staff Sergeant Harold E. Owens, was blown clear and survived.
The dead were recovered by German troops, who buried them at the Grand Cimetière in Orleans, France. Sgt Frey's remains were returned to the United States and interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, on November 10, 1948. He is buried in Section 12, Site 4108.
A memorial plaque was dedicated to the McCleary crew at Varize, France on May 9, 2015. The plaque was made possible through the efforts of Jean Pierre and Forced Landing Association, in collaboration with the municipalities of Varize and Bazoches-en-Dunois, France. The plaque is mounted in an entry alcove of the thirteenth-century Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (Eglise Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul) in Varize (map coordinates 48.096472°N, 1.513639°E).
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1900 US Census; Michigan; Jackson County; Norvell Township. Frey, Christian. 14 Jun 1900 (his father's father)
3. 1910 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County; Manchester Township. Frey, Christ. 27 Apr 1910 (his father's father)
4. 1920 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County; Manchester Township. Frey, Christian. 12 Jan 1920 (his father's father)
5. 1920 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County, Manchester Township. Sutton, George M. 30 Jan 1920 (his mother's father)
6. 1930 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County, Manchester Township. Frey, Walter. 23 Apr 1930 (his father)
7. 1940 US Census; Michigan; Washtenaw County; Manchester Township; English Road. Frey, Walter. 9 Apr 1940 (his father)
8. Chamberlain, Mark. Memorial Ceremony Photos – Varize, France, 9 May 2015. (Photos of the plaque dedication ceremony for the Lorin D. McCleary Jr crew)
9. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
10. Enlistment record of Arthur C. Frey
11. Forced Landing Association, Eure-et-Loire, France. Point of contact: Jean Pierre
12. HQ, 359th Combat Crew Training School, Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. Special Orders Number 71. 11 Mar 1944 (487th Bomb Group flight echelon orders to proceed from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Herington, Kansas during the deployment to England)
13. HQ, Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona. Special Orders Number 1. 1 Jan 1944 (transfer of fifty heavy bomber combat crews, less navigators, from Davis-Monthan Field, Tucson, Arizona, to the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico)
14. Michigan Births, 1867–1901: Walter John Frey was born at Norvell, Jackson County, Michigan on 12 Aug 1895; parents: Chris Frey and Mary E. Frey (his father)
15. Michigan Marriages, 1868–1925: Walter John Frey and Nellie Junita Sutton married at Norvell, Jackson County, Michigan on 11 Aug 1918. (his parents)
16. U.S. Army. Arlington National Cemetery
17. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 4782
18. U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928–1962 (ancestry.com)
19. U.S. National World War II Memorial Registry. World War II Honoree Arthur Frey (honored by Richard I. Mann, a friend)
20. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939–1945
21. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
22. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
23. World War I Draft Registration of Walter J. Frey. 5 Jun 1917 (his father)
24. Word War II Draft Registration of Walter J. Frey. 27 Apr 1942 (his father)
Research by:
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Last edited 1 Apr 2024
Inscription
SGT, 838 AAF BOMB SQ, WORLD WAR II
Family Members
Other Records
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
See more Frey memorials in:
Advertisement
