PRESS RELEASE | Oct. 5, 2022
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces " 1st Lt. John B. Thomas ", 23, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 30, 2022.
( see more below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
John served as a First Lieutenant & Pilot on a B-24 "Aire Lobo" #42-40312, 345th Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Wayne County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on September 26, 1941, prior to the war, in Rochester, New York. He was noted as being employed as an Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
He had family, possibly his parents, residing at 1025 East Avenue, Rochester, Monroe County, New York during the war.
John was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-24 was hit by German flak and crashed near Ploesti, Romania during the war.
His remains were not recovered.
John was awarded a "Distinguished Flying Cross", and Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Purple Heart.
Service # O-659415
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-24 #42-40312:
Carter, Eldon L ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, GA
Davies, George E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OR
Gough, Ernest E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, KY
Johnson, Elijah D ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Kneisl, William A ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, WI
Lewis, David M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, TX
McCandless, George ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NY
Nash, Robert D ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, IL
Salsbury, Richard G ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, ME
Thomas, John B ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~ ~ ~ More on " 1st Lt. John B. Thomas " ~ ~ ~
In the summer of 1943, Thomas was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force.
On Aug. 1, the B-24 Liberator bomber Thomas was piloting was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania.
His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces " 1st Lt. John B. Thomas ", 23, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 30, 2022.
( see more below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
John served as a First Lieutenant & Pilot on a B-24 "Aire Lobo" #42-40312, 345th Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Wayne County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on September 26, 1941, prior to the war, in Rochester, New York. He was noted as being employed as an Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
He had family, possibly his parents, residing at 1025 East Avenue, Rochester, Monroe County, New York during the war.
John was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-24 was hit by German flak and crashed near Ploesti, Romania during the war.
His remains were not recovered.
John was awarded a "Distinguished Flying Cross", and Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Purple Heart.
Service # O-659415
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-24 #42-40312:
Carter, Eldon L ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, GA
Davies, George E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OR
Gough, Ernest E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, KY
Johnson, Elijah D ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Kneisl, William A ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, WI
Lewis, David M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, TX
McCandless, George ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NY
Nash, Robert D ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, IL
Salsbury, Richard G ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, ME
Thomas, John B ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~ ~ ~ More on " 1st Lt. John B. Thomas " ~ ~ ~
In the summer of 1943, Thomas was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force.
On Aug. 1, the B-24 Liberator bomber Thomas was piloting was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania.
His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PRESS RELEASE | Oct. 5, 2022
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces " 1st Lt. John B. Thomas ", 23, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 30, 2022.
( see more below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
John served as a First Lieutenant & Pilot on a B-24 "Aire Lobo" #42-40312, 345th Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Wayne County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on September 26, 1941, prior to the war, in Rochester, New York. He was noted as being employed as an Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
He had family, possibly his parents, residing at 1025 East Avenue, Rochester, Monroe County, New York during the war.
John was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-24 was hit by German flak and crashed near Ploesti, Romania during the war.
His remains were not recovered.
John was awarded a "Distinguished Flying Cross", and Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Purple Heart.
Service # O-659415
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-24 #42-40312:
Carter, Eldon L ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, GA
Davies, George E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OR
Gough, Ernest E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, KY
Johnson, Elijah D ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Kneisl, William A ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, WI
Lewis, David M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, TX
McCandless, George ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NY
Nash, Robert D ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, IL
Salsbury, Richard G ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, ME
Thomas, John B ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~ ~ ~ More on " 1st Lt. John B. Thomas " ~ ~ ~
In the summer of 1943, Thomas was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force.
On Aug. 1, the B-24 Liberator bomber Thomas was piloting was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania.
His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WASHINGTON – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that U.S. Army Air Forces " 1st Lt. John B. Thomas ", 23, killed during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 30, 2022.
( see more below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
John served as a First Lieutenant & Pilot on a B-24 "Aire Lobo" #42-40312, 345th Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Wayne County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on September 26, 1941, prior to the war, in Rochester, New York. He was noted as being employed as an Actor and also as Single, without dependents.
He had family, possibly his parents, residing at 1025 East Avenue, Rochester, Monroe County, New York during the war.
John was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-24 was hit by German flak and crashed near Ploesti, Romania during the war.
His remains were not recovered.
John was awarded a "Distinguished Flying Cross", and Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, and a Purple Heart.
Service # O-659415
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-24 #42-40312:
Carter, Eldon L ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, GA
Davies, George E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OR
Gough, Ernest E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, KY
Johnson, Elijah D ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, VA
Kneisl, William A ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, WI
Lewis, David M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, TX
McCandless, George ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, NY
Nash, Robert D ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, IL
Salsbury, Richard G ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, ME
Thomas, John B ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~ ~ ~ More on " 1st Lt. John B. Thomas " ~ ~ ~
In the summer of 1943, Thomas was assigned to the 345th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 98th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force.
On Aug. 1, the B-24 Liberator bomber Thomas was piloting was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire and crashed during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania.
His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inscription
1 LT 345 BOMB SQ 98 BOMB GP(H) NEW YORK
Family Members
Other Records
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
