Geroe C Allen
Military ROLL OF HONOURMechanical problems caused B-24J #42-100122 'Twin Tails' to run out of gas and ditch in the channel E of Great Yarmouth on the return from a mission to Erkner, Berlin on 8 Mar 1944. Killed in Action (KIA).
2Lt Geroe C. Allen was the co-pilot aboard a B-24J Liberator based out of Seething, Norfolk, England. The aircraft – 42-100122 – "Twin Tails" - of the 8th AF, 448th Bomb group, 715th Squadron, was returning from a bombing mission to Erkmer, Germany – the southeastern edge of Berlin, when it ran out of gas and was forced to ditch in the English Channel. The airplane was 25 miles east of Great Yarmouth when it broke apart hitting the water. Two men survived and were rescued, while another was found dead floating in the water about 15 minutes later by an RAF air-sea rescue squad. The rest of the aircrew went down with the airplane and their remains were never recovered.
On the mission to the target, at 22,000 ft altitude, the windshield of the airplane had been covered by oil that froze from the signaling smoke bombs dropped by the leading PFF airplane that was above and in front of them. (Pathfinder Force airplane had a special radar navigational system that allowed for targeting. They flew in the lead and signaled others to drop their payload when this plane did.) One of the survivors (the radio operator) stated that the co-pilot (Allen) managed to scrape enough off of his side of the windshield to see. After dropping the bombs, the plane dropped out of formation over Holland and flew to the extreme left until the enemy coast was reached. The number 2 supercharger was reported to be a problem during the whole mission, gasoline was low, and they dropped altitude to save what was left. The crew also threw out everything possible to lighten the airplane. The fuel ran out, the plane hit the water and broke apart. The pilot and co-pilot were last seen alive, bleeding from head wounds, but went down with the airplane in the very rough sea.
Extracted from “Missing Air Crew Reports, WWII”, 1944, 42-100122 accessed through Fold3 database. CH 6/9/2019
Connections
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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-24 Liberator
- Unit: 448th Bomb Group 715th Bomb Squadron
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Died |
8 March 1944 | ||
Born |
Deland, Florida, USA | ||
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
English Channel | 8 March 1944 |
Revisions
Extracted from “Missing Air Crew Reports, WWII”, 1944, 42-100122 accessed through Fold3 database. CH 6/9/2019
Extracted from “Missing Air Crew Reports, WWII”, 1944, 42-100122 accessed through Fold3 database. CH 6/9/2019
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3189 / MACR 3189, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database