John Joseph Ahern Jr

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Killed in Action (KIA) Saved village of Bozeat England by keeping plane from hitting village church. All the rest of the crew bailed out. The mission had been recalled because of bad weather. Three engines quit, the plane still had its bomb load. A/C crashed and exploded on pilot, the rest of the crew bailed out.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.

379th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

44-8275

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Died

Red Gables Farm, Bozeat 16 December 1944 On December 16, 1944, the 379th was to attack rail targets at Stuttgart, with other groups of the 1st Bomb Division and groups of the 3rd Bomb Division. Due to extremely poor weather conditions, the 1st Bomb Division abandoned the mission while still over England. During assembly for this abandoned mission, a/c 44-8275 crashed in the village of Bozeat. Leaving RAF Kimbolton, soon after take-off the plane developed engine trouble and Lt Ahern ordered his crew to bail out, saying he would follow. He never did. He managed to steer the fully armed aircraft away from the village but apparently wasn't able to parachute out before the plane crashed in a field beyond Red Gables Farm, exploding on impact. The farm buildings were damaged by the blast, but the farmer's family were unharmed. Lt Ahern's actions averted a major disaster; the result, had the bombs exploded in the village, doesn't bear thinking about. In gratitude to Lieut. John Ahern, who thus gave his life for Bozeat, the villagers made a house-to-house collection for his mother in America, organized by the members of the Women's Voluntary Service. Bozeat acknowledges his sacrifice every year on Remembrance Day.

Born

Atlantic Beach, Florida

Buried

Minnesota

Revisions

Date
ContributorSteveC
Changes
Sources

http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~aherns/ltjahern.htm
http://www.vets-hall.org/stories/world-war-ii/john-jack-ahern-jr
http://www.379thbga.org/Looking4%201280-1271%20p28.htm

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Anthology 379th BG; 379th Bombardment Group Anthology, pg 333 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia