Edward Lester Gimbel
Military
Personal research & 'The Debden Eagles' by Garry L. Fry.
Object Number - UPL 14937 - March 1945 - Lt. Edward L. Gimbel of the 336th Fighter Squadron poses in front of his P-51D Mustang 'Hard Luck!'
Initially assigned to 401 Sqn as Flight Sgt having first passed through 53 OTU, Aston Down. Gained 5 victories as a Flight Lt whilst flying for 403 Sqn RCAF. Transferred to 421 Sqn RCAF as flight commander. Transferred to USAAF. Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. On 16 April 1945, he was shot down by flak near Kbley Aerodrome whilst ground strafing in P-51D 44-72768 and became a Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 14129.
Award: DFC, DFC (British), AM (4 OLC), POW, WWII Victory, PH, EAME (4 Bronze stars), 1939-45 Star, Canadian Defense, Air Crew-Europe Star, Canadian Volunteer Service, Canadian War (Palm).
Post War: Discharged from the USAAF upon return to USA, 11-Aug-45. Worked in the insurance industry.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Chicago, IL, USA | 28 December 1916 | Son of Ralph Edward Gimbel. |
|
Other E/A Probable [1.5]. |
France | 17 August 1942 | 1 1/2 x Fw190 probable. Spifire BS176. 17-Aug-42. |
|
Other E/A Damaged. |
France | 6 September 1942 | Fw190 damaged. Spifire BS176. 6-Sept-42. |
|
Other E/A Destroyed. [1.5] |
France | 9 October 1942 | 1/2 Fw190 destroyed. Spifire BS176. 9-Oct-42. |
|
Other E/A Destroyed. [1.5] |
France | 10 November 1942 | 1/2 Fw190 destroyed. Spifire BS176. 10-Nov-42. |
|
Other E/A Destroyed. |
France | 17 January 1943 | Fw190 destroyed. Spifire BS104. 17-Jan-43. |
|
Other E/A Destroyed. |
France | 27 February 1943 | Fw190 destroyed. Spifire BR623. 27-Feb-43. |
|
Other Awarded DFC |
London, UK | 9 March 1943 | Awarded British DFC. Gazetted 23-Mar-43. |
|
Other E/A Destroyed. |
France | 4 April 1943 | Fw190 destroyed. Spifire BS110. 4-Apr-43. |
|
Other E/A Destroyed. |
France | 20 December 1943 | Fw190 destroyed. Spifire ?? 20-Dec-43. |
|
Other Mentioned in Dispatches MID. |
London, UK | 14 January 1944 | Mentioned in Dispatches, for evading capture having been shot down in a Spitfire 4-Apr-44. |
|
Other Assigned |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 28 June 1944 - 16 April 1945 | Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. |
|
Other Promotion |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 9 February 1945 | Promoted to Captain. |
|
Other Crashed |
Belgium | 1 March 1945 | Crashed in Belgium, 1-Mar-45 and was hospitalised. |
|
Other Shot down |
280 02 Kbel, Czech Republic | 16 April 1945 | Shot down by flak in P-51D 44-72768 near Kbley POW. MACR 14129. |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Bohemian Forest, 94252 Bayerisch Eisenstein, Germany | 16 April 1945 - 1 May 1945 | Prisoner of War (POW). Held at Bohmerwald Castle. Liberated by 97th Infantry Division. |
|
Died |
Chicago, IL, USA | 25 April 1977 | |
| Chicago, Illinois, USA |
Revisions
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbmpilot.asp?Pilot=Gimbel%2C+Edw…
https://www.fold3.com/image/29034348
http://acesofww2.com/USA/aces/gimbel/#
Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and ... by By Christopher Shores, Clive Williams.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 14129 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list
