Chester Lee Dunsmore
Military
media-38086.jpeg
UPL 38086
Chester Lee Dunsmore
Fighter Pilot
404th FG - 506th FS - 9th AF
photo from his Huntington Park (CA) High School yearbook.
Fighter Pilot
404th FG - 506th FS - 9th AF
photo from his Huntington Park (CA) High School yearbook.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Florence, Arizona | 27 June 1920 | |
Enlisted |
Los Angeles, California | 3 November 1941 | |
Other Combat Mission |
near Soissons, France | 8 May 1944 | Out of the sky and out of the sun black tracer-streams flew among the Thunderbolts of the last flight of the 506th Squadron, following the 508th in a wide turn northwestward near Soissons. Lieut. Robert F. Bealle, flight leader, called for a "break" into the attack. Confused, Lieut. Chester L. Dunsmore broke left instead of right. In front of him three bullet-nosed Messehschmitt-109's flashed sharply down and away to the left. When the third passed his sights, he squeezed his trigger, and saw bright flashes and smoke as his 50-caliber bullets struck. Pieces flew and a body fell out and away from the plane. He shouted into his throat-microphone. (I spoke to Robert F Bealle about this incident and he disagreed that Chester Dunsmore went the wrong way. He considered that Dunsmore set himself up for the attack and had positioned himself for a classic and successful deflection shot - John Levesley). |
Huntington Park, California | 5'9" 165 lbs |