Donald Alvin Gaylord
MilitaryIWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Second Lieutenant Donald Gaylord from Waterloo, Iowa, was a pilot of the 351st Bomb Group, based at Polebrook in Northamptonshire from April 1943. During his second mission on 5 November 1943, Gaylord’s B-17 (serial number 42-3532) “Lucille Ball” was hit by enemy fire over Gelsenkirchen, Germany. With only one working engine, the 23-year-old pilot flew his Fortress back to England and ordered his crew to bail out.
Rapidly losing height, he tried to escape himself, leaving the aircraft on a safe course under auto-pilot, but his plane was too badly damaged and was heading for the centre of Ipswich. Risking his life, Gaylord made the decision to remain at the controls, where he then safely steered his plane clear of Ipswich and crash landed in a nearby field. “Lucille Ball” was too badly damaged to fly again but Gaylord and his crew all escaped unharmed.
Gaylord returned to America in June 1945, having served at Polebrook for the duration of the war.
He enjoyed a successful career with the US Air Force, with 4,800 hours flown in B-17, B-29, and B-52 bomber aircraft, KC-97 and KC-135 air refueling aircraft as well as numerous training type aircraft. His military decorations and awards include the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross with three oak leaf clusters, Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal, Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Gaylord retired from the US Air Force in 1975 as Brigadier-General. He died in 1998.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Lucille Ball
- Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 5 November 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Died |
12 October 1998 | ||
Buried |
North Syracuse Cemetery North Syracuse, Onondaga County, NY | 15 October 1999 | North Syracuse Cemetery North Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York |
Born |
Chicago, IL, USA | ||
Other Graduated |
Waterloo West High School, 425 East Ridgeway Avenue, Waterloo, IA 50702, USA | Graduated from West High School, Waterloo, Iowa in 1937 | |
Enlisted |
Commenced military career as an aviation cadet. | ||
Other Promotion |
Received pilot's wings in April 1943, commissioned as Second Lieutenant. | ||
Other Completion of first combat tour of duty |
Revisions
Brought in information from duplicate record. Source:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 360
-US Air Force Biography: http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/Display/tabid/225/Article/107016/…
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / www.351st.org/ken.harbour/