Walter Lee Surprise | American Air Museum

Walter Lee Surprise Jr

Military

media-53430.jpeg UPL 53430 Donald A Currie Jr and crew, B-17 42-31034 'Bonny Donnie', Donald A Currie kneels centre.

Other crew members: 1Lt Clayton Alan Johnston (CP), 1Lt Morey B Jeffery (N),1Lt Roy Richard Winn (B), T/Sgt Cosmo Anthony DiPierro Sr (RO), T/Sgt Earl C. Gibson (TT), S/Sgt's Cecil L. Graf (BTG), Walter L Surprise (TG), Marvel T. Severson (WG), Joe R Amber (WG).

https://www.fold3.com/image/32157112
http://401bg.org/Main/History/Crews/Details.aspx?CrewId=10621

Object Number - UPL 53430 - Donald A Currie Jr and crew, B-17 42-31034 'Bonny Donnie', Donald A Currie kneels centre. Other crew members: 1Lt Clayton Alan Johnston (CP), 1Lt...

Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Don Currie crew. 37 x combat missions. ETD.

Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).

Post war: Remained in USAF serving in Korean and Vietnam conflicts.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

401st Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

612th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Donald A Currie

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 14102782 / O-805408 / AO38157
Highest Rank: Colonel
Role/Job: Pilot

Donald George McCree

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-348319
Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Role/Job: Pilot / Commanding Officer

Aircraft

42-31034

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Bonnie Donnie
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron

42-31891

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: The Shape
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron

Places

Bomber crews from the 401st Bomb Group look over P-51 Mustang, FT-T, serial number 43-12172, of the 353rd Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, at Deenethorpe airfield. One of their B-17 Flying Fortresses is in the background. Printed caption on reverse of print: '...401st Bomb Group look over a North American P-51 Mustang at an 8th Air Force base in England, 27 December 1943.'

Deenethorpe

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Benefield

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	Kansas	6 April 1923	Son of Walter L Sr and Ola M [Delaney] Surprise.
Enlisted	Fort Leavenworth, KS	21 November 1942	Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Died		4 February 2005
Buried	Arkansas State Veterans CemeteryNorth Little Rock, Pulaski County, AR	7 February 2005	Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas
Based	Deenethorpe		Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date29 Apr 2023 17:04:34

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Capitalized the words "Waist Gunner" in the "Role/job" field.

Date11 Nov 2021 15:06:42

ContributorAl_Skiff

Changes

Sources

https://www.fold3.com/record/84656407/walter-l-surprise-jr-wwii-army-en…
http://401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=630
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/49137185/walter-lee-surprise

Date27 Sep 2014 18:26:58

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://www.401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=630

Walter Lee Surprise: Gallery (1 items)

Object number: UPL 53430 - Donald A Currie Jr and crew, B-17 42-31034 'Bonny...