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Olger Ivan Aal

Military

  • 1/Lt. Olger Aal. Taken in December 1943.

    1/Lt. Olger Aal. Taken in December 1943.

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  • Memorial at the church of Drieslinter in Belgium to the three Allied airmen who died nearby. It was inaugurated on 10 May 2015. The airmen were First Lieutenant Olger I Aal, the pilot of P-47 44-19580 and the two crew of a Mosquito, Australian pilot William Searle Vale, 27, and Flight Lieutenant Alfred E D Ashcroft, 24, a navigator and wireless operator from Surrey.

    Memorial at the church of Drieslinter in Belgium to the three Allied airmen who died nearby. It was inaugurated on 10 May 2015. The airmen were First Lieutenant Olger I Aal, the pilot of P-47 44-19580 and the two crew of a Mosquito, Australian pilot William Searle Vale, 27, and Flight Lieutenant Alfred E D Ashcroft, 24, a navigator and wireless operator from Surrey.

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  • The Drieslinter church in Belgium. The memorial to the three Allied airmen can be seen to the right of the church doorway.

    The Drieslinter church in Belgium. The memorial to the three Allied airmen can be seen to the right of the church doorway.

    Show caption About this image
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Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) bombing mission to Brussels, one of five A/C bombing Diest aerodrome, failed to rejoin after attack, cause unknown 29-Aug-44. 1st Lt Aal Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 8312.

3 x victories.

Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), PH.

Service

Units served with

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

  • 353rd Fighter Group

    353rd Fighter Group

    Group
    The 353rd Fighter Group was assigned to the Eighth Air Force on 7 June 1943. The group flew P-47 Thunderbolts, and from October 1944, P-51 Mustangs, as escorts for bombing missions across occupied Europe and to strafe targets on the ground. Tactical...

  • 350th Fighter Squadron

    350th Fighter Squadron

    Squadron

Aircraft

Associated Place

  • Raydon

    Military site : airfield
    Although never used as such, Raydon was built during 1942-43 as an Eighth Air Force bomber base, with three concrete runways, 50 loop and one pan hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. Initially on loan to the Ninth Air Force, it was first...

  • Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial

    Cemetery

Events

Event Location Date
Born Williston, North Dakota, USA 3 January 1923

Son of Ole A and Clara Otelia [Peterson] Aal.
Lived in Williston, ND 58801, USA 1940
Enlisted Los Angeles, CA 17 August 1942

Los Angeles, California
Based Raydon 1944 – 29 August 1944

Assigned to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF.
Crashed Airport Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554, USA 17 March 1944

Forced Landing due to Engine Failure Galveston AAF Texas Cat 4 damage, pilot 2nd Lt Olger I Aal, 17-Mar-44.

P-47D 42-23276 - 515FBS, 407FBG.
Died Linter, Belgium 29 August 1944

Failed to Return (FTR) bombing mission to Brussels, one of five A/C bombing Diest aerodrome, failed to rejoin after attack, cause unknown 29-Aug-44. 1st Lt Aal Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 8312.
Buried St Trond, Belgium 31 August 1944

Airfield Cemetery
St Trond, Belgium
Buried 1946

Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial
Neuville-en-Condroz
Arrondissement de Liège
Liège, Belgium.
Plot D Row 5 Grave 39
Nationality
American
Nickname
Not yet known
Service numbers
19126184 / O-762186
Highest rank
First Lieutenant
Role/job
Fighter Pilot
Awards
  • Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters
  • Distinguished Flying Cross
  • Purple Heart

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
31 March 2020 08:45:48 Al_Skiff Changes to middlename, service number, biography and events
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/628240690
https://www.fold3.com/image/204704829
https://www.fold3.com/record/85009432-olger-i-aal
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55846995/olger-ivan-aal
Date Contributor Update
30 March 2020 14:43:15 Andycole0 Changes to place associations
Sources

American Battle Monument's Commission, www.abmc.gov
Date Contributor Update
17 June 2016 17:00:01 Al_Skiff Changes to role, biography, events, unit associations and place associations
Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbmpilot.asp?Pilot=Aal%2C+Olger
https://www.fold3.com/image/28690427
https://www.fold3.com/page/529854716_olger_i%20aal/details/
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbapi.asp?Pilot=Aal%2C+Olger
Date Contributor Update
01 June 2015 13:02:58 Lucy May Changes to events
Sources

https://www.abmc.gov/search-abmc-burials-and-memorializations/detail/WWI...
Date Contributor Update
11 February 2015 17:06:08 Lucy May Changes to service number, highest rank, biography, awards and events
Sources

Findagrave record: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=55846995
Date Contributor Update
22 November 2014 18:07:28 Deemax Changes to events
Sources

http://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/american-war-cemetery-ar...
Date Contributor Update
06 October 2014 11:11:39 PhillWray Changes to awards
Sources

Associated with award from short biography.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:20:45 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Jonah's Feet Are Dry, p.634 / MACR 8312 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

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