Eugene served as a Second Lieutenant & Asst. Navigator on B-17 #41-24518, 39th Squadron, 317th Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
On the day of his passing he was serving as a Student Navigator on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Eugene was "Killed In Action", along with 2 other airmen (Linsley & Flieger), during the crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # O-734528
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
On the day of his passing he was serving as a Student Navigator on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Eugene was "Killed In Action", along with 2 other airmen (Linsley & Flieger), during the crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # O-734528
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eugene served as a Second Lieutenant & Asst. Navigator on B-17 #41-24518, 39th Squadron, 317th Troop Carrier Group, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
On the day of his passing he was serving as a Student Navigator on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Eugene was "Killed In Action", along with 2 other airmen (Linsley & Flieger), during the crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # O-734528
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
On the day of his passing he was serving as a Student Navigator on B-17F "The Reckless Mountain Boys" #41-24518, 63rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force.
B-17 #41-24518 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on a solo photograph reconnaissance mission over Kavieng. This aircraft was repeatedly attacked over Kavieng by six Japanese Zeros which eventually knocked out both their #1 & #2 engines causing the aircraft to crash off Komalu Island on the southern coast of New Ireland during the war.
Eugene was "Killed In Action", along with 2 other airmen (Linsley & Flieger), during the crash.
He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Service # O-734528
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished as a result of this crash:
Bleiler, Eugene D ~ 2nd Lt, Asst. Navigator, PA
Flieger, Gilbert A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, ID
Fritz, John E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, PA ~ POW
Kurisko, Frank L ~ Pvt, Gunner, NH ~ POW
Linsley, Oscar M ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, IA
Mangett, Marcus L, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, OH ~ POW
Vetter, Kenneth P ~ S/Sgt, Asst. Engineer, KY ~ POW
Airmen who became POW's as a result of this crash:
( Survived the War )
Etheridge, James E ~ T/Sgt, Asst. Radio Operator, TX
Heichel, Byron L ~ Capt, Pilot, ID
Rucks, Berry T, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, TN ~ (died 1974)
Surrett, Clarence G ~ M/Sgt, Radio Operator, OK
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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