Edward Carrington Venable Boykin Jr

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-19264.jpeg UPL 19264 Captain Edward Carrington Venable Boykin, Jr, Londo, 25 December 1943 (Boykin family, via Bernard Ballenger, France)

Added photo

Object Number - UPL 19264 - Captain Edward Carrington Venable Boykin, Jr, Londo, 25 December 1943 (Boykin family, via Bernard Ballenger, France)

New York-born Edward Boykin studied law at the University of Virginia from 1935 to 1940. He is listed as living in Orange, Essex County, New Jersey in the US 1940 Census, together with his parents and younger brother Samuel.



Edward entered the service in November 1941, and after his training as pilot, he was sent overseas and was assigned to the 351st Bomb Group / 508th Bomb Squadron. He became Assistant Operations Officer and on his eight mission, to the Bordeaux airfield on 31 December 1943, he was in the tail gunner position on board B-17 # 42-37731.



Boykin was usually the Co-Pilot of the John R. Blaylock crew but since this was the Division lead plane for the mission, Colonel William J. Hatcher Jr took his place and Boykin took the tail gunner slot.



Surviving crew members stated that they had seen Boykin, wounded, in the tail section of the plane and thought he would be able to jump. Ed Boykin's body was found by the Germans in the débris of the crashed aircraft. Killed In Action (KIA).

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 351st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 510th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 510th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-790784
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 509th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-728350 and 19060455 on enlisting
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 510th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Colonel Hatcher of the 351st Bomb Group with comedian Bob Hope, Hollywood actor Clark Gable and guests. Handwritten caption on reverse: '7. Col. Hatcher and guests during Bob Hope show.'
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 508th Bomb Squadron 509th Bomb Squadron 510th Bomb Squadron 511th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-021528
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot; Pilot; Group Commanding Officer

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 351st Bomb Group 508th Bomb Squadron 510th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

New York State, United States 13 April 1917 the son of Edward Carrington V. and Anne (Gunter) Boykin

Enlisted

Camp Stewart, Hinesville, Georgia, United States 7 November 1941 in the Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet

Other

Killed In Action (KIA)

near Médis, France 31 December 1943 Wounded in the aircraft, he didn't bail out and his body was found in the crashed plane.
Orange, Essex County, New Jersey, United States
Charlottesville, Virginia, United States

Buried

Blandford Cemetery, Petersburg, Virginia, United States

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 1984
NARA WWII Enlistment records
US 1940 Census

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1984

Edward Carrington Venable Boykin: Gallery (1 items)