Rolon Day Borgstrom
MilitaryBorgstrom family
Rolon Borgstrom was Tail Gunner on B-24 “Pregnant Peg”, Serial 42-50328 (44th BG/506th BS), one of the Squadron’s 8 Liberators sent to bomb the La Perth airfield in Romilly, France on 8 August 1944. Just after take-off, the ship lost one of its engines. Pilot Jacobs decided to abort the mission and tried to return to the base. While flying the traffic pattern, the pilot attempted to get back to Shipdham but as a result of turning into the dead engine, it spun in and crashed with a full load of bombs and exploded at 11:55 hours alongside the road at Birds Corner, Yaxham near Dereham, Norfolk, 4km northeast of the base. The load comprised 46 x 100lb fragmentation bombs, half of which exploded in the crash and others in the ensuing fire. All 10 crew members lost their lives in the incident and are recorded as DOI (Died of Injuries).
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11106940
- Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33408973
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33566080
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
- Role/Job: Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19116466 at enlistment, then O-556125
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17097564 at enlistment, then O-700615
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Nicknames: Pregnant Peg
- Unit: 44th Bomb Group 506th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 8 August 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Pathway
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Tremonton, Box Elder County, Utah | 5 May 1925 | Twin brother of Rulon Jay (38th Inf Rgt - KIA France 25/8/1944), sons of Alben and Gunda Borgstrom |
Enlisted |
7 July 1943 | Salt Lake City, Utah | |
Other Killed In Action |
8 August 1944 | Officially reported as Died Of Injuries (DOI) in the crash and explosion after take-off of B-24 # 42-50328 at Yaxham, England | |
Other |
26 June 1948 | His remains were brought back to the US after the war. Buried at the Riverview Cemetery in Tremonton, Utah, on that same day, with his brothers Clyde, LeRoy and Rulon, who all died in that same year 1944 | |
Tremonton, Utah | |||
Buried |
Initially buried at the Temporary Military Cemetery in Cambridge, England |
Revisions
NARA WWII Enlistment records
WWII Draft Card
WWII Army and Air Corps Casualties
WWII Headstone Applications
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://8thairforce.com/44thbg/search/perlastname.asp