Leon Watson Cavender

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-13245.jpeg UPL 13245 Crew of B17 #42-31180 92nd Bombardment Group, 326th Bomb Squadron
Back Row, from left to right: Sgt Herman Rahn (radio), S/Sgt. Lewis Lilly (waist gunner), Sgt. Paul McDade (ball turret), M/Sgt. Nathan Grant (engineer), Sgt. Chester Zahaba (tail gunner), and Sgt. Samual Smith (waist gunner). Front row, left to right, Lt. Robert Clayton (pilot), Lt. Leon Cavender (co-pilot), Lt. John Gaibrath (navigator), Lt. Paul Alexander (bombardier).

Amended associations to reflect subjects depicted in photo

Object Number - UPL 13245 - Crew of B17 #42-31180 92nd Bombardment Group, 326th Bomb Squadron Back Row, from left to right: Sgt Herman Rahn (radio), S/Sgt. Lewis Lilly (waist...

Had long desired to be a pilot.  Took flying lessons in his home town of Springfield, Missouri.  Was attending Southwest Missouri State Teachers College in Springfield when war started.  Volunteered for Army June, 1942.  Reported to Kelly Field, Texas 10 September, 1942.  

Received basic training at Goodfellow Field, San Angelo, Texas.  Received advanced training at Ellington Field, Texas.  

Shot down by fighters and crashed near Furstenau, GR on a mission to Schweinfurt, GR on 24 Feb 1944 in B-17G 42-31180. Killed in Action (KIA).

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 92nd Bomb Group.

92nd Bomb Group

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

Aircraft

42-31180

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

missouri 23 October 1923

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

Belgium 24 February 1944

Buried

Springfield National Cemetery, Missouri

Revisions

Date
ContributorLeon's Cousin
Changes
Sources

Information on background and training provided by David Cavender, first cousin from newspaper clippings of the Springfield, MO newspaper and oral family history.  

Date
ContributorLeon's Cousin
Changes
Sources

David Cavender, First Cousin provided middle name. 

Date
ContributorBroncobob
Changes
Sources

92nd BG Researcher

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2854 / MACR 2854, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Leon Watson Cavender: Gallery (1 items)

Object number: UPL 13245 - Crew of B17 #42-31180 92nd Bombardment Group...