Clair Eugene Buskirk
MilitaryAssigned to 338FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. Baled out before his P-38J crashed at Langford Grove, Maldon, Essex on return from a bomber escort mission on 25-Feb-44. Returned to Duty (RTD). 106 combat missions. Credited 1 x kill. Failed to Return (FTR) escort to Germersheim. Hit by flak in P-51D 44-14901 strafing Gelsenkirchen aerodrome, crashed near Schluchtern 6-Jan-45 Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 11524.
Awards: DFC, AM (8OLC), POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36320728
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
- Nicknames: Fubar
- Unit: Base Air Depot 3 55th Fighter Group 56th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-38 Lightning
- Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 356th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Group 338th Fighter Squadron 360th Fighter Squadron
Places
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bures / RAF Wormingford / RFC Wormingford / USAAF Station 159 / Wormingford Landing Ground
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Wood County, WV, USA | 8 January 1923 | |
Enlisted |
546 Jack Gibbs Blvd, Columbus, OH 43215, USA | 22 August 1941 | Fort Hayes Columbus, OH |
Based |
Wormingford | 19 November 1943 - 6 January 1945 | Assigned to 338FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. |
Other Baled out RTD |
Langford Grove, Maypole Rd, Maldon CM9 4TA, UK | 26 February 1944 | Baled out before his P-38J crashed at Langford Grove, Maldon, Essex on return from a bomber escort mission on 25-Feb-44. Returned to Duty (RTD). |
Other Promotion |
Wormingford, UK | 28 February 1944 | Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. |
Other Promotion |
Wormingford, UK | 1 May 1944 | Promoted to 1st Lieutenant. |
Other End Tour Duty (ETD) |
England, UK | 15 July 1944 | Ended Tour Duty (ETD). |
Other Promotion |
Wormingford, UK | 18 August 1944 | Promoted to Captain. |
Other Crashed |
Wormingford, UK | 31 December 1944 | Taxiing Accident Wormingford/Sta 159 Cat 3 damage 1Lt Clair E Buskirk, 31-Dec-44. P-51D 44-15387 - 338FS 55FG 8AF |
Other Crashed |
Wormingford, UK | 2 January 1945 | Taxiing Accident Wormingford/Sta 159 Cat 3 damage 1Lt Clair E Buskirk, 2-Jan-45. P-51D 44-15600 - 338FS 55FG 8AF |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Barth, Germany | 6 January 1945 - 13 May 1945 | Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I. |
Other Shot down / baled out |
36381 Schlüchtern, Germany | 6 January 1945 | Failed to Return (FTR) escort to Germersheim. Hit by flak in P-51D 44-14901 strafing Gelsenkirchen aerodrome, crashed near Schluchtern 6-Jan-45 Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 11524. |
Died |
Riverside County, CA, USA | 14 March 2016 | |
Parkersburg, WV, USA | |||
Buried |
Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, CA 92518, USA | Riverside National Cemetery Riverside Riverside County California, USA |
Revisions
https://www.fold3.com/page/84164621_clair_e%20buskirk/details/
https://www.fold3.com/image/46707995
http://littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=buskirk&Submit=Search
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http://www.station131.co.uk/55th/Pilots/338th%20Pilots/Buskirk%20Clair%…
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=167496704
https://www.fold3.com/page/84164621_clair_e%20buskirk/details/
https://www.fold3.com/image/46707995
http://littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=buskirk&Submit=Search
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbapi.asp?Pilot=Buskirk%2C+Clair…
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbmpilot.asp?Pilot=Buskirk%2C+Cl…
http://www.station131.co.uk/55th/Pilots/338th%20Pilots/Buskirk%20Clair%…
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=167496704
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11524 / MACR 11524, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list