Son of Ainsley H. Patten who resided in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Irving served as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier on B-17F (#42-30126), 416th Bomber Squadron, 99th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Norfolk County, Massachusetts prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on January 7, 1941, prior to the war, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the fabrication of textile products and also as Single, without dependents.

Irving was "Killed In Action" when his B-17F was attacked and shot down by enemy aircraft fire over Switzerland during the war.

He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

Service # O-735143

His brother, 1Lt George K Patten, was also "Killed In Action" during the war and is interred close to him. They are one of fourteen pairs of brother's interred together in the Epinal American Cemetery, France.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30126:

Burgett, Charles R ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Radio Op, NY
English, Burton C ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, IA
Finseth, Levi S ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MN
Malchiodi, Peter B ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CT
Patten, Irving B ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MA
Prentice, Donald M ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Wheadon, Elmer D ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, NH

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who survived from B-17F #42-30126:

Carroll, Joseph R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Op, NY
King, Norris W ~ S/Sgt, T/Gunner, CO
Pratt, Marion D ~ S/Sgt, Asst Engineer

Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
S/Sgt J. J. Cunningham:
"When I first noticed aircraft 42-30126 we were being engaged by fighters, it was flying about 500 yards out and about 300 yards down from the aircraft in which I was flying as tail gunner. The fighters made several attacks at our formation but we managed to keep them at a distance, aircraft 30126 was tail end Charlie and it is possible they were hit by enemy action, I’m not too sure of this because I was too busy at my own station to observe what was taking place around me. The aircraft was in level flight and appeared to be alright, when all of a sudden I saw three parachutes open. Aircraft 126 then went into a steep climb, looked to me to be about an 80 degree climb, it climbed for a few seconds and I saw two more parachutes blossom, totaling five. The plane then rolled over and went into a dive, the controls must have been shot away because I could see no fire or visual damage. Just before the plane crashed into the mountain I saw a burst of flame come from the wing tips and an explosion took place in the left wing tip." He was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery in Münsingen, Switzerland.

Contributor: Andy (48021049)
~~~~~~~~~~

Son of Ainsley H. Patten who resided in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Irving served as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier on B-17F (#42-30126), 416th Bomber Squadron, 99th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Norfolk County, Massachusetts prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on January 7, 1941, prior to the war, in Boston, Massachusetts. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the fabrication of textile products and also as Single, without dependents.

Irving was "Killed In Action" when his B-17F was attacked and shot down by enemy aircraft fire over Switzerland during the war.

He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

Service # O-735143

His brother, 1Lt George K Patten, was also "Killed In Action" during the war and is interred close to him. They are one of fourteen pairs of brother's interred together in the Epinal American Cemetery, France.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30126:

Burgett, Charles R ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Radio Op, NY
English, Burton C ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, IA
Finseth, Levi S ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MN
Malchiodi, Peter B ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, CT
Patten, Irving B ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MA
Prentice, Donald M ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NY
Wheadon, Elmer D ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, NH

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who survived from B-17F #42-30126:

Carroll, Joseph R ~ T/Sgt, Radio Op, NY
King, Norris W ~ S/Sgt, T/Gunner, CO
Pratt, Marion D ~ S/Sgt, Asst Engineer

Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
S/Sgt J. J. Cunningham:
"When I first noticed aircraft 42-30126 we were being engaged by fighters, it was flying about 500 yards out and about 300 yards down from the aircraft in which I was flying as tail gunner. The fighters made several attacks at our formation but we managed to keep them at a distance, aircraft 30126 was tail end Charlie and it is possible they were hit by enemy action, I’m not too sure of this because I was too busy at my own station to observe what was taking place around me. The aircraft was in level flight and appeared to be alright, when all of a sudden I saw three parachutes open. Aircraft 126 then went into a steep climb, looked to me to be about an 80 degree climb, it climbed for a few seconds and I saw two more parachutes blossom, totaling five. The plane then rolled over and went into a dive, the controls must have been shot away because I could see no fire or visual damage. Just before the plane crashed into the mountain I saw a burst of flame come from the wing tips and an explosion took place in the left wing tip." He was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery in Münsingen, Switzerland.

Contributor: Andy (48021049)
~~~~~~~~~~