Walter Carl Parkins

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.  UPL 45632 UPL 45632 384th Bomb Group Lead Crews / 29 July 1943/Kiel.
Back L-R: SSgt. Walter C. Parkins (FG), TSgt. Philip E. Schmidlapp (TT), SSgt. Floyd M. Wingate (FG), TSgt. Arthur E. Brittain (RO), SSgt. Win R. Smalley (BT)
Front L-R: 1st Lt. Gordon K. Stallings (OBS/TG), Capt. Richard T. Carrington Jr. (AC/CP), Capt. Michael H. Smithwick (B), Capt. Raymond P. Ketelsen (P), 1st Lt. Robin Everett Taber (N)

384th Bomb Group collection

The Quentin Bland Collection.

On

Object Number - UPL 45632 - 384th Bomb Group Lead Crews / 29 July 1943/Kiel. Back L-R: SSgt. Walter C. Parkins (FG), TSgt. Philip E. Schmidlapp (TT), SSgt. Floyd M. Wingate...

Assigned to the 545th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per 545th Bomb Squadron January 1943.  Shot down 12 August 1943 in B-17 #42-3231 'The Inferno', Missing in Action (MIA).

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13096046
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-728581
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-672340
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron 545th Bomb Squadron Headquarters (384th Bomb Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-404094
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot / Group Operations Officer / Squadron Commander
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Five men standing to the rear and five men kneeling in front.  Some of the men are  wearing  flying gear.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35110121
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Snuffy
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Joker
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Yankee Powerhouse II : Mary Kathleen
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Inferno
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Greeneville, TN 22 October 1919

Enlisted

Fort Jackson, SC 22 May 1942

Other

Missing in Action (MIA)

Erfstadt, Germany 12 August 1943 Dropped out of formation and was attacked by several enemy fighters. Parkin was last heard from calling out the positions of the enemy fighters.  Damaged by enemy aircraft, crashed [SE of] Liblar, Germany. MACR 287 

Other

Memorial

Margraten, The Netherland Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, The Netherlands: Tablets of the Missing

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 287 / MACR 287, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=… / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Walter Carl Parkins: Gallery (4 items)