John Childers
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Completed tour. Returned to USA with B-24 'Chug A Lug' for war bonds tour.
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Prentice R Boston
Military
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B-24 Liberator #41-11766 'Chug A Lug' 345th BS, 98th BG, 9th AF, flew in 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by LeRoy B Morgan, returning safely to Libya. Photo taken on war bond tour. Crew left to right: Front row T/Sgt. Richard A Kraham of Cooperstown, NY radio operator; S/Sgt. John I White of Plainview Arkansas, waist gunner 2nd Row: S/Sgt. John Martko, Mainville, NJ tailgunner; 1st Lt Charles B Hill Shreveport, LA navigator; 1st Lt John W Childers, Talent, OR co-pilot; 1st Lt Reuben J Weltha, Roland, IA pilot; S/Sgt. Donald F Swanson, Walsenberg, CO, waist gunner; 1st Lt Richard J Morrow, Madison, WI bombardier; S/Sgt Prentice Boston, Moundsville, WV, waist gunner; T/Sgt. Russel T Elkin, Markleysburg, PA Engineer, Sgt Boston and Elkin can be seen on top of the plane.
Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. John Childers crew. Completed tour. Returned to USA with B-24 'Chug A Lug' for war bonds tour.
Awards: AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Service
People
Units served with
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98th Bomb Group
Group
The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942. ... -
345th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Established as a B-24 Liberator heavy bomb squadron and trained by Third Air Force. Deployed to Egypt in June 1942 over South Atlantic Transport Route transiting from Morrison Field, Florida though the Caribbean to Brazil; performed trans-Atlantic...
Aircraft
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41-11766 Chug A Lug
B-24 Liberator
Flew on 1st Aug 43 Ploesti oil refinery raid piloted by Leroy B Morgan, returning to Libya, 1 KIA [T/Sgt James VanNess, NJ] and 2 WIA (2nd Lt Victor Larson - Navigator, and T/Sgt Robert L. Tipton - Engineer).
Associated Place
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Benina
Military site : airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Hannibal, OH | 16 May 1907 |
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Son of Clara McMullen. |
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| Lived in | Moundsville, WV | 1942 |
| Enlisted | Clarksburg, WV | 13 October 1942 |
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Clarksburg, West Virginia |
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| Based | Benina | 1943 – 1944 |
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Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. |
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| Hosptalised RTD | Libya | September 1943 – October 1943 |
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Hosptalised Libya, Sep-Oct 43 |
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| Discharged USAAF | 8 September 1945 | |
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Honourable discharge. |
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| Died | Marshall County, WV | 22 July 1966 |
| Buried | Riverview Cemetery, Moundsville, Marshall County, WV | 25 July 1966 |
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Riverview Cemetery |
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Revisions
