Thomas Paxton Sherwood

Military
media-34516.jpeg UPL 34516 Lt Thomas Sherwood

ARowe95

Object Number - UPL 34516 - Lt Thomas Sherwood

Co-pilot, Mullane crew. 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 13 April 1944 in B-17 42-31357 "Our Desire". Mission to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, GE. MACR 3865. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft I.

Midway, PA.



Graduate of the Randolph Field Flying Cadet Class of 42-B. Left for Europe on September 1st, 1942 as a member of the 305th Bomb Group, 422nd Bomb Squadron, as an Operations Officer working directly under Lt Col Curtis Lemay. One of only two American pilots who gave Beam Approach Training for blind landings in the early part of WWII. After the BAT program was disbanded, he opted to go to the 381st BG, 535th BS as the Chief Instrument Flight Instructor. Transferred to combat flying and completed 28 missions.



Sherwood was founder of the 381st Bomb Group Association, and played a key role in getting a memorial to the 381st Bomb Group placed at Ridgewell in the 1980s.

Connections

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

Units served with

Unofficial emblem, 305th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
The insignia of the 381st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 3rd Air Division 305th Bomb Group
  • Service Numbers: O-17917
  • Highest Rank: General
  • Role/Job: Commanding General
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-682504
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Our Desire, Man o War II
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 535th Bomb Squadron

Missions

  • Date: 13 April 1944

Places

Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Midway, Pennsylvania 27 August 1914 BornMidway, Pennsylvania

Enlisted

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 11 July 1941 EnlistedHarrisburg, Pennsylvania

Prisoner of war

Prisoner of War (POW)

Stalag Luft I, Barth Germany 13 April 1944 - 13 May 1945 Prisoner of War (POW)Stalag Luft I

Died

30 September 2006

Buried

Pleasantville Cemetery Alum Bank, Pennsylvania 2 October 2006 InterredPleasantville Cemetery Alum Bank, Pennsylvania

Based

305th BG 422nd BS Operations Officer

Based

13 April 1944 381st BG 535th BS Chief Instrument Flight Instructor

Revisions

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Brought together information from duplicate records including information drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / www.381st.org/UnitHistory/Data/Roster.aspx / 305th Bomb Group Roster

Further information provided by Thomas Paxton Sherwood's son John, and the digital archive created for his father at http://tpsarchives.com/

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- MACR 3865;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

381st Bomb Group Memorial Association, March 1999; MACR 3865 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Thomas Paxton Sherwood: Gallery (1 items)