Thomas Ray Higdon

Military

media-40964.jpeg UPL 40964 Jay Ossiander's crew. L-R Back Row: Penrose Reagan, Angelo Virgona, George Clarke, Donald Rouse, Ancil Anderson, Tommy Higdon.

Jay Ossiander's Crew Photograph with names.

Object Number - UPL 40964 - Jay Ossiander's crew. L-R Back Row: Penrose Reagan, Angelo Virgona, George Clarke, Donald Rouse, Ancil Anderson, Tommy Higdon.

Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Damaged by flak and landed in Switzerland on 31-Jul-44 in B-17 42-107092 'Umbriago'. Interned (INT)

Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

401st Bomb Group

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

615th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Jay Donald Ossiander

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-755401
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Pilot

Angelo Joseph Virgona

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 12088200
Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
Role/Job: Radio Operator

Aircraft

42-107092

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Freckles, Umbriago
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron

Places

Bomber crews from the 401st Bomb Group look over P-51 Mustang, FT-T, serial number 43-12172, of the 353rd Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, at Deenethorpe airfield. One of their B-17 Flying Fortresses is in the background. Printed caption on reverse of print: '...401st Bomb Group look over a North American P-51 Mustang at an 8th Air Force base in England, 27 December 1943.'

Deenethorpe

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Benefield

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	The Rock, GA	6 May 1924	Son of C F Higdon.
Other Interned (INT)	Germany	31 July 1944	Damaged by flak and landed in Switzerland on 31-Jul-44 in B-17 42-107092 'Umbriago'. Interned (INT)
Died		12 January 1985
Buried	Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery Mesa, Maricopa County, AZ	15 January 1985	Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona
Based	Deenethorpe	31 July 1944	Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date27 Mar 2022 10:33:04

ContributorAl_Skiff

Changes

Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/607310285
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/135945351/thomas-ray-higdon

Date13 Dec 2019 00:26:39

ContributorBill Buskey

Changes

Sources

Jay Ossiander's Crew Photograph

Date27 Sep 2014 18:26:08

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 7825 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Thomas Ray Higdon: Gallery (1 items)

Object number: UPL 40964 - Jay Ossiander's crew. L-R Back Row: Penrose Reagan...