Dennis James McDarby
MilitaryWim Slangen - Photo from Fields of Honor - Auburn High School yearbook 1941.
Shot down 14 October 1943 in B-17 #42-3436. Prisoner of War (POW).
Dennis McDarby was born March 30th 1923, graduated from Auburn High School in 1942 and from the University of St. Louis in St. Louis. Mr. McDarby was a U.S. Army Air Corps veteran, serving as a lieutenant and a pilot during World War II. He was a member of the 305 Bomb Group.
He fractured his ankle while baling out on October 14. 1943 (MACR 1034).
Mrs Marilyn Walton: “Dennis McDarby was one of my father’s roommates at Stalag Luft III – South Compound, Barracks 128, room 15.” From an interview with Mr McDarby Mrs Walton learned that he went to Mass before every mission, and that a French priest (Father Goudreau from Quebec) in camp had Mass when he was there and on Holy Days. He also told Mrs Walton that in the POW camp, they had two bridge tables always going. He said my father - Mr Jeffers - was not good at bridge. Also poker was played a lot.”
Mr McDarby was liberated at Stalag VII-A near Moosburg, but spent most of his POW days at Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany.
He was one of the many US pilots who force marched 52-miles in January 1945 to Spremberg, Germany, and loaded onto overcrowded, filthy, boxcars. From there the Americans were taken to Stalag VII A in Moosburg, Germany, where he and many other POWs were liberated on April 29. 1945.
He was a life member of the American Legion and 8th Air Force Historical Society and died May 22nd 2006 in Morristown - Shelby County, Indiana. He is buried at Asbury Cemetery.
More see http://home.kpn.nl/slang075/breeden-crew-members-42-3436.html
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 14 October 1943
- Date: 10 October 1943
- Date: 9 October 1943
- Date: 8 October 1943
- Date: 4 October 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag 7a, Moosburg
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
St Louis, Missouri | 30 March 1923 | |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Zagan, Poland | 14 October 1943 | Mr McDarby was liberated at Stalag VII-A near Moosburg, but spent most of his POW days at Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany. |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Moosburg, Germany | 29 April 1945 | Stalag 7A Moosburg Bavaria 48-12 (Work Camps 3324-46 Krumbachstrasse 48011, Work Camp 3368 Munich 48-11) |
Revisions
Added an association to Stalag Luft 3 per info "Summary biography".
Added POW Camp info to the POW event and a S/N from WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Added an association to Stalag 7A per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Added a "-" to the A/C tail # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Added a second POW event per info in the "Summary biography".
Wim Slangen - Photo from Fields of Honor - Auburn High School yearbook 1941.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1034