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Military
Major John Marshall Toomey Pilot 376th BG KIA 31 January 1943
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 376th Bomb Group
Missing in Action on B-24 41-11603 'Malicious' on 31 January 1943, on a mission to Messina. His aircraft was hit by flak and forced to ditch in the sea.
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
Missing in Action on B-24 41-11603 'Malicious' on 31 January 1943, on a mission to Messina. His aircraft was hit by flak and forced to ditch in the sea.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer | 376th Bomb Group
Missing in Action on B-24 41-11603 'Malicious' on 31 January 1943, on a mission to Messina. His aircraft was hit by flak and forced to ditch in the sea.
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 376th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Gunner | 376th Bomb Group
Missing in Action on B-24 41-11603 'Malicious' on 31 January 1943, on a mission to Messina. His aircraft was hit by flak and forced to ditch in the sea.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 376th Bomb Group
Missing in Action on B-24 41-11603 'Malicious' on 31 January 1943, on a mission to Messina. His aircraft was hit by flak and forced to ditch in the sea.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Group
Constituted as 376th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 Oct 1942 and activated in Palestine on 31 Oct. Began combat immediately, using B-24 aircraft. Operated with Ninth AF from bases in the Middle East, Nov 1942-Sep 1943, and with Twelfth AF from Tunisia...
Squadron
B-24 Liberator
One of 23 B-24 Liberators assigned to the Halverson Detachment (HALPRO) which departed the US in May 1942 to join the 10th Air Force in the China, Burma, India Theatre of operations. The HALPRO aircraft were then assigned to the 376th Bomb Group when...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | San Antonio, TX, USA | 19 February 1913 |
| Died | Messina, Province of Messina, Italy | 31 January 1943 |
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On January 31, 1943, Toomey was pilot of B-24D #41-11603 named 'Malicious', assigned to the 9th Air Force, 376th Bombardment Group, 513th Bombardment Squadron. Malicious was the lead plane on a combat mission to bomb Messina Harbor in Sicily. Two engines were knocked out of commission by anti-aircraft artillery, but they stayed on their bomb run and hit their target. They were then set upon by German fighter planes and after a running battle, were forced to make a water crash landing into the Tyrrhenian Sea, twenty miles off the coast of Messina, Sicily. Crewmen in other aircraft saw four to six men evacuate the plane into life rafts, but subsequent rescue flights were unable to locate the men. Because his body was never recovered, he's memorialized on the Wall of the Missing. Toomey was from Austin, TX. He received the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal and the Purple Heart. |
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| Buried | ||
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No Known Grave |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 19 February 2018 21:47:08 | Susan2meFrost | Changes to nickname |
| Sources | ||
I am the daughter (and only child) of Jack Toomey |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 November 2016 23:35:15 | 466thHistorian | Changes to place associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 November 2016 22:19:36 | 466thHistorian | Created entry with surname, middlename, firstname, nationality, service number, highest rank, role, events, unit associations, place associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=56250863 |
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