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Military
The crew of B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number42-31322 ) nicknamed "Mi Amigo" of the 305th Bomb Group. Photo taken Pendleton Field, Oregon, 06.10.43; crew assigned MI-AMIGO 29.01.44 Back Row: Robert Mayfield, Vito Ambrosio, Harry Estabrooks, Malcolm Williams, Charles Tuttle, Maurice Robbins Front Row: John Kriegshauser, Lyle Curtis, Melchor Hernandez, John Humphrey.
B-17G 'Mi-Amigo' (42-31322) - crew. This picture was taken at Seattle Sept 1943 after completing training. Back row from left: Harry Estabrooks (flight engineer); Maurice Robbins (rear gunner); Bob Mayfield (radio operator); Vito Ambrosio (waist gunner);Charles Tuttle (ball turret gunner); Malcolm Williams (waist-gunner). Front: Mel Hernandez (bombardier); John Humphreys (navigator); Lyle Curtis (co-pilot) with crew mascot Peanuts - who remained in the USA with his wife Erma; John Kreigshauser (pilot).
Assigned to 364BS, 305BG, 8F USAAF. 15 x missions. Crashed attempting to land at Endcliffe Park, Sheffield, UK returning from Aalborg, Denmark mission 22-Feb-44 in B-17G #42-31322 'Mi Amigo'. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 15190
Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. PH. Attended Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois for two years and latterly worked at an ordnance factory prior to joining USAAF. Commissioned August 1943.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Assigned to 364BS, 305BG, 8AF USAAF. 15 x missions. Crashed attempting to land at Sheffield, Yorkshire, England on the return from a mission to Aalborg airfield, Denmark on 22-Feb-44 in B-17G #42-31322 'Mi Amigo' which had been badly damaged by...
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
The 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), nicknamed "Can Do" was activated 1-March-1942 at Salt Lake City Air Base, Utah which was their primary training base until 11-Jun-1942 when they relocated to Geiger Field, Washington until 29-Jun-1942, then on to...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/10/43; Vandalia 26/10/43; Des Moines 1/12/43; Denver 2/12/43; Cheyenne 11/12/43; Kearney 22/12/43; Prestwick, UK 16/1/44; Assigned 452BG Deopham Green 17/1/44; Transferred 364BS/305BG [WF-V] Chelveston 30/1/44; ex-Aalborg 22...
22 February 1944
The German aircraft industry is again targeted in Day 3 of BIG WEEK. A combined total od 789 bombers (maximum effort) are despathed from 1st 2nd and 3rd Air Divisions. Fighter opposition is heavy and bomber losses in 1st Air Division are massive - 39...
Military site : airfield
Chelveston was adapted and expanded in preparation for the arrival of American forces. Rather than heavy bombers, the first aircraft to fly from its runways were C-47 Skytrains that were flown by the 60th Troop Carrier Group in July 1942. The first...
Crash site
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Wyoming, IL | 17 July 1920 |
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Son of Marion G and Cecilia [Kinsella] Humphrey. Only son, two sisters. Pre-war occupation: chemicals firm employee (ordnance manufacturer). |
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| Enlisted | Davenport, IL | 2 January 1943 |
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Arrived Geiger Field 04.10.43 with 66-1 service record showing 8 months in USAAF with 168 hours of flying time, rated "very good''. |
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| Based | Chelveston | October 1943 – 22 February 1944 |
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Assigned to 364BS, 305BG, 8F USAAF. |
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| Died | Endcliffe Park, Sheffield | 22 February 1944 |
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Battle damaged on Aalborg, Denmark mission; attempted force landing Endcliffe Park, Sheffield. Killed in Action. MACR 15190 |
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| Buried | 24 February 1944 | |
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Interred |
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| Buried | St Dominic, Wyoming, IL | 14 July 1948 |
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Re-Interred |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 12 March 2020 15:30:14 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography". |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 January 2020 08:28:33 | miAmigo | Changes to awards and events |
| Sources | ||
personnel file |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 April 2019 15:08:28 | miAmigo | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
USAAF document 66-1 (personnel file) |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 07 April 2019 19:21:12 | miAmigo | Changes to biography and events |
| Sources | ||
Wyoming Post-Herald. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 18 February 2019 07:21:07 | miAmigo | Changes to middlename and events |
| Sources | ||
See ''Courage Above the Clouds -the true story of MI-AMIGO and the Heroes of Endcliffe Park'' by Paul Allonby (lulu.com) |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 January 2019 17:06:11 | Al_Skiff | Changes to service number, highest rank, biography, events, unit associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/29424042 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:16:48 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Mighty Eighth Chronology Supplement 1942-45; p. 85., Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces |
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