Thomas' records, along with S/Sgt Bugher's, shows the above date in two different sources. However the date of the crash of this B-17 was actually March 3, 1943. Since they both bailed out of the B-17 "possibly" they were captured by the Japanese and killed on the above date.
Thomas served as a Staff Sergeant & Left Waist Gunner on B-17F "Ka Puhio Wela / Double Trouble" (#41-24356), 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
This B-17 was lettered with "Double Trouble" on the left side & "Ka Puhio Wela" (Hawaiian for "Double Trouble") on the right side.
He resided in Harlan County, Kentucky prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on May 19, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver & also as Single, without dependents.
Thomas was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-17, during what was known as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, was hit by Japanese Zeros and crashed in the sea off the coast of New Guinea during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13064517
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on on B-17F (#41-24356):
Brown, Thomas ~ S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, KY ~ *
Bugher, Chester L ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, OK ~ *
Dow, Alfred E ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, ME ~ *
Gassmann, William C ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, FL ~ *
Gilbert, Fletcher B ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, CA ~ *
James, John W, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OK ~ *
McCamy, William R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigaotr, AL ~ *
Miller, Louis I ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, WA
Moore, Woodrow W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
Westphal, Alfred F ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
* Note: 7 crew members were seen to bail out and are noted above.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thomas served as a Staff Sergeant & Left Waist Gunner on B-17F "Ka Puhio Wela / Double Trouble" (#41-24356), 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
This B-17 was lettered with "Double Trouble" on the left side & "Ka Puhio Wela" (Hawaiian for "Double Trouble") on the right side.
He resided in Harlan County, Kentucky prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on May 19, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver & also as Single, without dependents.
Thomas was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-17, during what was known as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, was hit by Japanese Zeros and crashed in the sea off the coast of New Guinea during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13064517
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on on B-17F (#41-24356):
Brown, Thomas ~ S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, KY ~ *
Bugher, Chester L ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, OK ~ *
Dow, Alfred E ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, ME ~ *
Gassmann, William C ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, FL ~ *
Gilbert, Fletcher B ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, CA ~ *
James, John W, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OK ~ *
McCamy, William R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigaotr, AL ~ *
Miller, Louis I ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, WA
Moore, Woodrow W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
Westphal, Alfred F ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
* Note: 7 crew members were seen to bail out and are noted above.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thomas' records, along with S/Sgt Bugher's, shows the above date in two different sources. However the date of the crash of this B-17 was actually March 3, 1943. Since they both bailed out of the B-17 "possibly" they were captured by the Japanese and killed on the above date.
Thomas served as a Staff Sergeant & Left Waist Gunner on B-17F "Ka Puhio Wela / Double Trouble" (#41-24356), 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
This B-17 was lettered with "Double Trouble" on the left side & "Ka Puhio Wela" (Hawaiian for "Double Trouble") on the right side.
He resided in Harlan County, Kentucky prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on May 19, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver & also as Single, without dependents.
Thomas was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-17, during what was known as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, was hit by Japanese Zeros and crashed in the sea off the coast of New Guinea during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13064517
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on on B-17F (#41-24356):
Brown, Thomas ~ S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, KY ~ *
Bugher, Chester L ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, OK ~ *
Dow, Alfred E ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, ME ~ *
Gassmann, William C ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, FL ~ *
Gilbert, Fletcher B ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, CA ~ *
James, John W, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OK ~ *
McCamy, William R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigaotr, AL ~ *
Miller, Louis I ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, WA
Moore, Woodrow W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
Westphal, Alfred F ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
* Note: 7 crew members were seen to bail out and are noted above.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thomas served as a Staff Sergeant & Left Waist Gunner on B-17F "Ka Puhio Wela / Double Trouble" (#41-24356), 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
This B-17 was lettered with "Double Trouble" on the left side & "Ka Puhio Wela" (Hawaiian for "Double Trouble") on the right side.
He resided in Harlan County, Kentucky prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on May 19, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver & also as Single, without dependents.
Thomas was declared "Missing In Action" when his B-17, during what was known as the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, was hit by Japanese Zeros and crashed in the sea off the coast of New Guinea during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13064517
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on on B-17F (#41-24356):
Brown, Thomas ~ S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, KY ~ *
Bugher, Chester L ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, OK ~ *
Dow, Alfred E ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, ME ~ *
Gassmann, William C ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, FL ~ *
Gilbert, Fletcher B ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, CA ~ *
James, John W, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OK ~ *
McCamy, William R ~ 2nd Lt, Navigaotr, AL ~ *
Miller, Louis I ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, WA
Moore, Woodrow W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
Westphal, Alfred F ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
* Note: 7 crew members were seen to bail out and are noted above.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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