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2nd Lt John B Caldwell 721BS, 450BG, 15AF.
Detailed history
The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial lies outside the city of Florence in Italy. The site contains the headstones of 4,402 military dead, many who fell after the capture of Rome in June 1944 and fighting in the Apennines Mountains late in the War. A further 1,409 names are commemorated on the Wall of Missing. A chapel memorial and map also honour the dead and outline the American campaign across Rome and the Alps.
The region was liberated in 1944 by the South African 6th Armoured Division, and shortly after the area was transferred to the Fifth Army. Following the end of the War, nearby temporary cemeteries were determined to be unsuitable and the site of the Florence American Cemetery, near the Greve River was chosen. The site represents 39 percent of fallen personnel from the Fifth Army who died fighting around Rome and in the Alps. The cemetery was designed by McKim, Mead and White and landscaped by Clarke and Rapuano, it was dedicated in 1960. The Florence American Cemetery is owned and maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/florence-american-cemetery
Connections
People
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Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Commanding Officer | 93rd Bomb Group
Lieutenant Colonel Addison Baker was the Commanding Officer of the 93rd Bomb Group from May 17, 1943, he was killed in Action over Ploesti during Operation Tidal Wave on 1 August, 1943.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Assigned to 515BS, 376BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Sofia, Bulgaria 20-Dec-43 with Bob Brown crew; Collided with out of control ME109, ripping wing from A/C. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 1592
Awards: AM, PH.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in action on 1 August 1943 during Operation Tidal wave onboard B-24 Liberator, 'Hell's Wench' (#42-40994).
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist gunner | 464th Bomb Group
Assigned to 778BS, 464BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Lugo, Italy in B-24 44-49710; A/C suffered direct flak hit on a 'milk run'. Starboard wing collapsing between engines; crashed Lugo, Italy 10-Apr-45, Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 13711.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer | 301st Bomb Group
Assigned 32BS, 301BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Wiener Neudorf 26-Jul-44 hit by enemy aircraft, crashed Perin; Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 7141.
Awards: AM, PH.
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Military | Captain | Fighter pilot | 332nd Fighter Group
Assigned to 100FS, 332FG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) recon mission to Praha (Prague), Czechoslovakia, engine failure prompted bale out Killed in Action (KIA). 23-Dec-44 MACR 10734.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Pilot on B-24 42-40102 'Old Baldy' Lost near the target, Ploesti, AA hit point blank at 30 feet or less from a Rumanian 80 mm. Pilot 1st Lt John J Dore. 10 KIA. MACR 223.
Awards: SS, DFC, AM (5OLC), PH.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 344BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ploesti in B-24 41-24198; Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 166
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (7OLC), PH.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Navigator on B-24 42-40102 'Old Baldy' Lost near the target, Ploesti, AA hit point blank at 30 feet or less from a Rumanian 80 mm. Pilot 1st Lt John J Dore. 10 KIA. MACR 223.
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (5OLC), PH.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 97th Bomb Group
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Salzburg 11-Nov-44 mechanical fault, crashed Fruli MIA [FOD 12-Nov-45] MACR 9862.
Awards: AM, PH.
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Buried or commemorated
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 82nd Fighter Group
William Ackalusky's P-38F Lightning failed to return to base after all 15th Air Force missions from Italy were recalled due to bad weather. Ackalusky was believed to be on route from Lecce to Athens!
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot
Assigned to 416th Fighter Squadron, 12th AF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ghedi Villafranca di Veroni; crashed vicinity of Quinzano d'Oglio. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 13453
Awards: AM (3OLC), PH.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 376th Bomb Group
Assigned to 515BS, 376BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Sofia, Bulgaria 20-Dec-43 with Bob Brown crew; Collided with out of control ME109, ripping wing from A/C. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 1592
Awards: AM, PH.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 450th Bomb Group
Assigned to 721BS, 450BG, 15AF USAAF. Ed Lee crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Isarco/Albes, Italy 28-Feb-45; flak hit to #4 engine, dropped 1000ft before control regained. Crashed vicinity of Conegliano, Italy Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 12514
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 93rd Bomb Group
Killed in action on 1 August 1943 during Operation Tidal wave onboard B-24 Liberator, 'Hell's Wench' (#42-40994).
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist gunner | 464th Bomb Group
Assigned to 778BS, 464BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Lugo, Italy in B-24 44-49710; A/C suffered direct flak hit on a 'milk run'. Starboard wing collapsing between engines; crashed Lugo, Italy 10-Apr-45, Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 13711.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 485th Bomb Group
Assigned to 828BS, 485BG, 15AF USAAF. 25 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Bucharest, Romania in B-24 42-52701 28-Jun-44; Shot down by E/A, held A/C stable to enable his crew to bale out, unable to escape himself. Killed in Action(KIA) MACR...
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Military | Captain | Fighter pilot | 332nd Fighter Group
Assigned to 100FS, 332FG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) recon mission to Praha (Prague), Czechoslovakia, engine failure prompted bale out Killed in Action (KIA). 23-Dec-44 MACR 10734.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 345BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Pilot on B-24 42-40102 'Old Baldy' Lost near the target, Ploesti, AA hit point blank at 30 feet or less from a Rumanian 80 mm. Pilot 1st Lt John J Dore. 10 KIA. MACR 223.
Awards: SS, DFC, AM (5OLC), PH.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 98th Bomb Group
Assigned to 344BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ploesti in B-24 41-24198; Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 166
Awards: DFC (OLC), AM (7OLC), PH.
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Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/6/43; Gore 13/6/43; Rapid City 20/6/43; Geiger 22/6/43; Gr Isle 30/6/43; Dow Fd 18/7/43; Assigned 20BS/2BG Massicault 17/8/43; Bizerte 1/12/43; {13m} transferred 885BS (TD at Maison Blanche, Alg); Missing in Action secret mission...