Charles Eugene Allen
Military
Object Number - UPL 81165 - T/Sgt C.E. Allen gives instructions to S/Sgt A.P. Machasick in the gunnery section of the 401st Bomb Group. England, 25 October 1944.
Mid air collision 31-Aug-43 in B-17 42-29816 'The Eager Beaver'. Plane crashed into Channel. Returned to base.
"Mr. Allen lived through the most harrowing experience in the history of the group. He was a husky, 20 year old Indiana boy with a sparse blonde moustache. On his 16th raid he was riding in the tail gun compartment when crossing the channel there was a terrific mid-air crash. The tail assembly was completely detached from the rest of the ship and began tumbling down like a falling leaf. Both doors through which Allen could escape were blocked, yet today he is alive, the 'Eager Beaver's' only survivor. "
Awards: AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18057370 / O-725524
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Eager Beaver
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
20 June 1923 | BornJasonville, Greene County, Indiana | |
|
Enlisted |
Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana | 30 May 1942 | EnlistedFort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana |
|
Other Returned (RTD) |
Off Beachy Head | 31 August 1943 | Slightly wounded, survived mid air collision on his 16th combat mission. Rescued from English channel by ASR. |
|
Other Discharged |
15 September 1945 | ||
|
Died |
Elkhart, Indiana | 28 July 2014 | DiedElkhart, Indiana |
Revisions
Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - “sparse” was misspelled.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 671 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
