Iowa Cenotaph and Local Obituary Here
~Entered the service from Iowa.
Lt. Duffy, Missing Pilot, Officially Listed as Killed
Davenporter Died When Plane Was Shot Down Over Germany
-*The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, July 6, 1945, P.20
Lt. Gerald J. Duffy, of Davenport, pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress, who was reported missing in action since his plane was shot clown over Germany last Nov. 8, has been officially listed as killed in action on that date, according to a war department message to his mother, Mrs Hertha H. Duffy, 1719 Brady Street.
Lt. Duffy was the only member of the crew who died in the crash, the other members being saved largely due to the fact that the pilot remained at his post until the ship crashed. They were over Germany on a bombing mission at the time and ran into heavy enemy fire. While the members of the crew parachuted to safety Lt. Duffy managed to keep the plane in the air but was unable to save himself.
The Davenport pilot, who was 27 years old, had been based at an Eighth Army Air Force base in England and had flown a number of missions. He was born at Long Grove Aug. 16, 1917. A graduate of the Davenport high school, with the class of 1936, he later attended Brown's Business college and prior to entering the service, June 30, 1943, had been employed by French & Hecht.
Lt. Duffy received his training at various southern camps and was commissioned and received his wings at Frederick field, Okla., in February, 1944. He had been overseas since last August.
Surviving besides his mother is a brother, Dale Duffy, who is also in the service.
*Paragraph breaks added by JMH for the sole purpose of readability on FaG
~ 2nd Lt Gerald John Duffy was KIA when his B-17 was shot down and crash landed over/near Arcan, Holland. According to MACR #10354, one survivor reported that Duffy "walked away" from the crash but was then killed by "German S.S. Troopers".
~~ "He kept the plane in level flight until the rest of us could get out, and by that time I think the plane was too low for him to bail out, so he tried to crash land the ship, but couldn't do it. This was in southern Holland" -
Source: Individual Casualty Questionnaire, File No. 10354, completed by surviving crew member, S/Sgt Charles R Herbison
Lt. Gerald J. Duffy
Updated Biographical Information
Contributed Feb. 2022 by: Wayne Gay
I live in the town that Gerald was born in. I worked at a county park where the house his mother was born in and his grand father was a blacksmith
I began my research of Gerald three years ago, when I found a photograph of Gerald at the age of two. the photograph explained the Gerald was two and that he was later killed in WW 2. I was intrigued as to how he was killed. Finding out that he was killed in action while on a bombing run in a B-17, a very favorite air plane of mine.
On his last mission to Merseburg, Germany to bomb an oil refinement factory, his plane, the Tag-a- Long, was hit by flack and lost two engines. Knowing at the altitude of 28,000 feet they would not keep that altitude for very long. He, as the commanding officer turned the plane around and made for home. Not as fear of be shot down but getting back to fight another day.
As they began their way back they were hit again with flack by the Dutch/German border. the B-17 had already lost altitude to 15,000 feet and now loosing it faster because another engine was hit. Lt. Duffy knew that there was no way of getting England on one engine, so he ordered his crew to bail out.
They all did successfully. Lt. Duffy stayed at the controls until he knew all the crew were out.
Upon their landing, all the crew were captured by the German SS. They were now prisoners' of war.
When the crew were liberated in 1945, they were debriefed on their treatment and what had happened to their plane.
There were different stories. One said that Lt. Duffy crashed the plane. Another said that he saw the plane land and the Germans SS pulled Gerald out of the plane and shot him.
What really happened according to a doctor from the town of Well, in the Netherlands, was he saw the plane going down. It was going to crash into the city. The pilot was trying to turn the plane to the right to avoid hitting innocent people. Lt. Duffy then tried to bail out but he was to low and his parachute didn't deploy properly and he was killed when he hit the ground.
Dr. von Bracht was the doctor that went and recovered Lt. Duffy and took him to the house and was trying to revive him to no avail. the German soldiers came and stripped off Duffy's flight suit and used it for propaganda. They made up the story that they had captured Duffy and killed him because he didn't answer their questions.
Dr. van Bracht had taken Duffy's body to the local hospital and there he was declared dead. Duffy was then taken to the towns cemetery and buried there until the end of the war.
Dr. van Bracht first name was, Gerald also.
Lt. Gerald Duffy was then exhumed and placed where he lies today. In Well, Netherlands, there is a plaque that honors Lt. Duffy for his heroic actions.
I feel very honored to have done the research and found out that Gerald was a hero.
~
~Entered the service from Iowa.
Lt. Duffy, Missing Pilot, Officially Listed as Killed
Davenporter Died When Plane Was Shot Down Over Germany
-*The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, July 6, 1945, P.20
Lt. Gerald J. Duffy, of Davenport, pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress, who was reported missing in action since his plane was shot clown over Germany last Nov. 8, has been officially listed as killed in action on that date, according to a war department message to his mother, Mrs Hertha H. Duffy, 1719 Brady Street.
Lt. Duffy was the only member of the crew who died in the crash, the other members being saved largely due to the fact that the pilot remained at his post until the ship crashed. They were over Germany on a bombing mission at the time and ran into heavy enemy fire. While the members of the crew parachuted to safety Lt. Duffy managed to keep the plane in the air but was unable to save himself.
The Davenport pilot, who was 27 years old, had been based at an Eighth Army Air Force base in England and had flown a number of missions. He was born at Long Grove Aug. 16, 1917. A graduate of the Davenport high school, with the class of 1936, he later attended Brown's Business college and prior to entering the service, June 30, 1943, had been employed by French & Hecht.
Lt. Duffy received his training at various southern camps and was commissioned and received his wings at Frederick field, Okla., in February, 1944. He had been overseas since last August.
Surviving besides his mother is a brother, Dale Duffy, who is also in the service.
*Paragraph breaks added by JMH for the sole purpose of readability on FaG
~ 2nd Lt Gerald John Duffy was KIA when his B-17 was shot down and crash landed over/near Arcan, Holland. According to MACR #10354, one survivor reported that Duffy "walked away" from the crash but was then killed by "German S.S. Troopers".
~~ "He kept the plane in level flight until the rest of us could get out, and by that time I think the plane was too low for him to bail out, so he tried to crash land the ship, but couldn't do it. This was in southern Holland" -
Source: Individual Casualty Questionnaire, File No. 10354, completed by surviving crew member, S/Sgt Charles R Herbison
Lt. Gerald J. Duffy
Updated Biographical Information
Contributed Feb. 2022 by: Wayne Gay
I live in the town that Gerald was born in. I worked at a county park where the house his mother was born in and his grand father was a blacksmith
I began my research of Gerald three years ago, when I found a photograph of Gerald at the age of two. the photograph explained the Gerald was two and that he was later killed in WW 2. I was intrigued as to how he was killed. Finding out that he was killed in action while on a bombing run in a B-17, a very favorite air plane of mine.
On his last mission to Merseburg, Germany to bomb an oil refinement factory, his plane, the Tag-a- Long, was hit by flack and lost two engines. Knowing at the altitude of 28,000 feet they would not keep that altitude for very long. He, as the commanding officer turned the plane around and made for home. Not as fear of be shot down but getting back to fight another day.
As they began their way back they were hit again with flack by the Dutch/German border. the B-17 had already lost altitude to 15,000 feet and now loosing it faster because another engine was hit. Lt. Duffy knew that there was no way of getting England on one engine, so he ordered his crew to bail out.
They all did successfully. Lt. Duffy stayed at the controls until he knew all the crew were out.
Upon their landing, all the crew were captured by the German SS. They were now prisoners' of war.
When the crew were liberated in 1945, they were debriefed on their treatment and what had happened to their plane.
There were different stories. One said that Lt. Duffy crashed the plane. Another said that he saw the plane land and the Germans SS pulled Gerald out of the plane and shot him.
What really happened according to a doctor from the town of Well, in the Netherlands, was he saw the plane going down. It was going to crash into the city. The pilot was trying to turn the plane to the right to avoid hitting innocent people. Lt. Duffy then tried to bail out but he was to low and his parachute didn't deploy properly and he was killed when he hit the ground.
Dr. von Bracht was the doctor that went and recovered Lt. Duffy and took him to the house and was trying to revive him to no avail. the German soldiers came and stripped off Duffy's flight suit and used it for propaganda. They made up the story that they had captured Duffy and killed him because he didn't answer their questions.
Dr. van Bracht had taken Duffy's body to the local hospital and there he was declared dead. Duffy was then taken to the towns cemetery and buried there until the end of the war.
Dr. van Bracht first name was, Gerald also.
Lt. Gerald Duffy was then exhumed and placed where he lies today. In Well, Netherlands, there is a plaque that honors Lt. Duffy for his heroic actions.
I feel very honored to have done the research and found out that Gerald was a hero.
~
Iowa Cenotaph and Local Obituary Here
~Entered the service from Iowa.
Lt. Duffy, Missing Pilot, Officially Listed as Killed
Davenporter Died When Plane Was Shot Down Over Germany
-*The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, July 6, 1945, P.20
Lt. Gerald J. Duffy, of Davenport, pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress, who was reported missing in action since his plane was shot clown over Germany last Nov. 8, has been officially listed as killed in action on that date, according to a war department message to his mother, Mrs Hertha H. Duffy, 1719 Brady Street.
Lt. Duffy was the only member of the crew who died in the crash, the other members being saved largely due to the fact that the pilot remained at his post until the ship crashed. They were over Germany on a bombing mission at the time and ran into heavy enemy fire. While the members of the crew parachuted to safety Lt. Duffy managed to keep the plane in the air but was unable to save himself.
The Davenport pilot, who was 27 years old, had been based at an Eighth Army Air Force base in England and had flown a number of missions. He was born at Long Grove Aug. 16, 1917. A graduate of the Davenport high school, with the class of 1936, he later attended Brown's Business college and prior to entering the service, June 30, 1943, had been employed by French & Hecht.
Lt. Duffy received his training at various southern camps and was commissioned and received his wings at Frederick field, Okla., in February, 1944. He had been overseas since last August.
Surviving besides his mother is a brother, Dale Duffy, who is also in the service.
*Paragraph breaks added by JMH for the sole purpose of readability on FaG
~ 2nd Lt Gerald John Duffy was KIA when his B-17 was shot down and crash landed over/near Arcan, Holland. According to MACR #10354, one survivor reported that Duffy "walked away" from the crash but was then killed by "German S.S. Troopers".
~~ "He kept the plane in level flight until the rest of us could get out, and by that time I think the plane was too low for him to bail out, so he tried to crash land the ship, but couldn't do it. This was in southern Holland" -
Source: Individual Casualty Questionnaire, File No. 10354, completed by surviving crew member, S/Sgt Charles R Herbison
Lt. Gerald J. Duffy
Updated Biographical Information
Contributed Feb. 2022 by: Wayne Gay
I live in the town that Gerald was born in. I worked at a county park where the house his mother was born in and his grand father was a blacksmith
I began my research of Gerald three years ago, when I found a photograph of Gerald at the age of two. the photograph explained the Gerald was two and that he was later killed in WW 2. I was intrigued as to how he was killed. Finding out that he was killed in action while on a bombing run in a B-17, a very favorite air plane of mine.
On his last mission to Merseburg, Germany to bomb an oil refinement factory, his plane, the Tag-a- Long, was hit by flack and lost two engines. Knowing at the altitude of 28,000 feet they would not keep that altitude for very long. He, as the commanding officer turned the plane around and made for home. Not as fear of be shot down but getting back to fight another day.
As they began their way back they were hit again with flack by the Dutch/German border. the B-17 had already lost altitude to 15,000 feet and now loosing it faster because another engine was hit. Lt. Duffy knew that there was no way of getting England on one engine, so he ordered his crew to bail out.
They all did successfully. Lt. Duffy stayed at the controls until he knew all the crew were out.
Upon their landing, all the crew were captured by the German SS. They were now prisoners' of war.
When the crew were liberated in 1945, they were debriefed on their treatment and what had happened to their plane.
There were different stories. One said that Lt. Duffy crashed the plane. Another said that he saw the plane land and the Germans SS pulled Gerald out of the plane and shot him.
What really happened according to a doctor from the town of Well, in the Netherlands, was he saw the plane going down. It was going to crash into the city. The pilot was trying to turn the plane to the right to avoid hitting innocent people. Lt. Duffy then tried to bail out but he was to low and his parachute didn't deploy properly and he was killed when he hit the ground.
Dr. von Bracht was the doctor that went and recovered Lt. Duffy and took him to the house and was trying to revive him to no avail. the German soldiers came and stripped off Duffy's flight suit and used it for propaganda. They made up the story that they had captured Duffy and killed him because he didn't answer their questions.
Dr. van Bracht had taken Duffy's body to the local hospital and there he was declared dead. Duffy was then taken to the towns cemetery and buried there until the end of the war.
Dr. van Bracht first name was, Gerald also.
Lt. Gerald Duffy was then exhumed and placed where he lies today. In Well, Netherlands, there is a plaque that honors Lt. Duffy for his heroic actions.
I feel very honored to have done the research and found out that Gerald was a hero.
~
~Entered the service from Iowa.
Lt. Duffy, Missing Pilot, Officially Listed as Killed
Davenporter Died When Plane Was Shot Down Over Germany
-*The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, July 6, 1945, P.20
Lt. Gerald J. Duffy, of Davenport, pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress, who was reported missing in action since his plane was shot clown over Germany last Nov. 8, has been officially listed as killed in action on that date, according to a war department message to his mother, Mrs Hertha H. Duffy, 1719 Brady Street.
Lt. Duffy was the only member of the crew who died in the crash, the other members being saved largely due to the fact that the pilot remained at his post until the ship crashed. They were over Germany on a bombing mission at the time and ran into heavy enemy fire. While the members of the crew parachuted to safety Lt. Duffy managed to keep the plane in the air but was unable to save himself.
The Davenport pilot, who was 27 years old, had been based at an Eighth Army Air Force base in England and had flown a number of missions. He was born at Long Grove Aug. 16, 1917. A graduate of the Davenport high school, with the class of 1936, he later attended Brown's Business college and prior to entering the service, June 30, 1943, had been employed by French & Hecht.
Lt. Duffy received his training at various southern camps and was commissioned and received his wings at Frederick field, Okla., in February, 1944. He had been overseas since last August.
Surviving besides his mother is a brother, Dale Duffy, who is also in the service.
*Paragraph breaks added by JMH for the sole purpose of readability on FaG
~ 2nd Lt Gerald John Duffy was KIA when his B-17 was shot down and crash landed over/near Arcan, Holland. According to MACR #10354, one survivor reported that Duffy "walked away" from the crash but was then killed by "German S.S. Troopers".
~~ "He kept the plane in level flight until the rest of us could get out, and by that time I think the plane was too low for him to bail out, so he tried to crash land the ship, but couldn't do it. This was in southern Holland" -
Source: Individual Casualty Questionnaire, File No. 10354, completed by surviving crew member, S/Sgt Charles R Herbison
Lt. Gerald J. Duffy
Updated Biographical Information
Contributed Feb. 2022 by: Wayne Gay
I live in the town that Gerald was born in. I worked at a county park where the house his mother was born in and his grand father was a blacksmith
I began my research of Gerald three years ago, when I found a photograph of Gerald at the age of two. the photograph explained the Gerald was two and that he was later killed in WW 2. I was intrigued as to how he was killed. Finding out that he was killed in action while on a bombing run in a B-17, a very favorite air plane of mine.
On his last mission to Merseburg, Germany to bomb an oil refinement factory, his plane, the Tag-a- Long, was hit by flack and lost two engines. Knowing at the altitude of 28,000 feet they would not keep that altitude for very long. He, as the commanding officer turned the plane around and made for home. Not as fear of be shot down but getting back to fight another day.
As they began their way back they were hit again with flack by the Dutch/German border. the B-17 had already lost altitude to 15,000 feet and now loosing it faster because another engine was hit. Lt. Duffy knew that there was no way of getting England on one engine, so he ordered his crew to bail out.
They all did successfully. Lt. Duffy stayed at the controls until he knew all the crew were out.
Upon their landing, all the crew were captured by the German SS. They were now prisoners' of war.
When the crew were liberated in 1945, they were debriefed on their treatment and what had happened to their plane.
There were different stories. One said that Lt. Duffy crashed the plane. Another said that he saw the plane land and the Germans SS pulled Gerald out of the plane and shot him.
What really happened according to a doctor from the town of Well, in the Netherlands, was he saw the plane going down. It was going to crash into the city. The pilot was trying to turn the plane to the right to avoid hitting innocent people. Lt. Duffy then tried to bail out but he was to low and his parachute didn't deploy properly and he was killed when he hit the ground.
Dr. von Bracht was the doctor that went and recovered Lt. Duffy and took him to the house and was trying to revive him to no avail. the German soldiers came and stripped off Duffy's flight suit and used it for propaganda. They made up the story that they had captured Duffy and killed him because he didn't answer their questions.
Dr. van Bracht had taken Duffy's body to the local hospital and there he was declared dead. Duffy was then taken to the towns cemetery and buried there until the end of the war.
Dr. van Bracht first name was, Gerald also.
Lt. Gerald Duffy was then exhumed and placed where he lies today. In Well, Netherlands, there is a plaque that honors Lt. Duffy for his heroic actions.
I feel very honored to have done the research and found out that Gerald was a hero.
~
