Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
Military
Shot down 26 July 1943 in B-17 #4124417 'Dixie Demo. ' Plane ditched in North Sea. Returned to base. He completed a combat tour in June 1944 and lived and worked in England for some years before returning to the USA.
He enlisted in the RAF in November 1939 and had to relinquish his American citizenship. He was permitted to assist with the first RAF American Eagle Squadron No. 71 because he was American by birth. After Pearl Harbor, he was offered the choice of joining the 8th AF from the RAF and regained his citizenship. He was promptly dispatched to gunnery school somewhere in the Midlands in England. He was transferred to Thurleigh 28 October 1942. He was considered a replacement crew member.
RAF Silver Medallion, DFC, AM 3Oak Leaf Cluster, PH, 2 Presidential Unit Citations, ETO, Bronze Star.
Group
Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 92BG Bangor 14/7/42; 97BG 24/8/42; dam 21/10/42; BAD 24/10/42; 369BS/306BG [WW-M] Thurleigh /10/42; ditched North Sea, off Cromer, Nfk., 26/7/43 with Alphonse Maresh, Co-pilot: Bob Hoyt, Navigator: Jim Brown, Bombardier: Art Isaac, Flight...
Military site : airfield
Built for RAF use in 1941-42, Thurleigh was initially used by RAF Bomber Command before being handed over to the Eighth Air Force. Its runways and hardstandings were improved, and the B-17s of the 306th Bomb Group began using the base. It was their...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Seattle, Washington | |
| Died | 30 July 1999 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 16 January 2021 15:18:42 | Helen | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
306th Echoes Oct'99 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:25:40 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition; Roll of Honor / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |
||
