Dwight Allen Fry
MilitaryEvaded (EVD). Crashed near Budel (The Netherlands) on 14 Oct 43 in P-47 #42-8513. His was one of 2 P-47s shot down on an escort mission on Black Thursday (14 Oct 43) to Schweinfurt. Had earlier received Silver Star for attacking two aircraft setting in on his flight lead. Pressed attack despite one enemy aircraft exiting the fight, re-engaging, and taking him under fire. Had two official kills over Europe. Saved the life of Wayne Blickenstaff (later a double ace) and was subsequently shot down. Was taken into the European Underground and came into the care of many Dutch, Belgian and French people. Among the Belgians were Anne Brusselmans -the famed resistance fighter- and her family. Dwight Fry was helped from Holland, through Belgium and France to the Spanish border. Plans to evacuate him via Switzerland aborted because of a wave of arrests in the evasion networks. He was led across the Pyrenees into Spain and reached the British base at Gibraltar, passing through Irun, Saragossa, Alhama de Aragon and Madrid. See http://www.evasioncomete.be/ffryda.html
Silver Star; Purple Heart ; Air Medal w 3/Oak Leaf Cluster
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
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
- Nicknames: Eager Beaver
- Unit: 353rd Fighter Group 350th Fighter Squadron
Missions
- Date: 14 October 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Boise, Idaho | 14 May 1922 | |
Enlisted Evaded Returned (EVD:R) |
Gowan Field, Boise, United States | 22 January 1942 | Enlisted as a Private in the Air Corps |
Other Evaded |
Germany | 14 October 1943 - 26 January 1944 | Landed in parachute near Maarheeze, Holland and was helped by Dutch, Belgian and French citizens. Travelling through the Dutch-Belgian border, Brussels, Paris and the South of France, he reached neutral Spain and was flown back to England from Gibraltar 15 weeks after he jumped out of his doomed aircraft. |
Died |
Richmond, Virginia, United States | 26 April 2005 |
Revisions
NARA WWII Enlistment records
MACR 904
Escape & Evasion report E&E 360
Research for the www.evasioncomete.org website
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 904 / MACR 904/ grandson / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list