Ira Jerome Walter
MilitaryBetty J. Walter, wife
From page 119 of the book “Air Forces Escape & Evasion Society” – Turner Publishing Cy, Paducah, KY - 1992 :
"Inducted into U.S. Army Oct. 22, 1942 at Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Trained as armorer gunner at A.A.F.T.T.S. Buckley Field, Colorado and Tyndall Field, Florida. Was tail gunner in a B-17E Bomber with the 360th Squadron, 303rd BG, 8th A.F. Molesworth, England, WWII. His plane, Career Girl, was downed on its third mission Dec. 1, 1943. Parachuted to safety near Lille, France and evaded capture until Dec. 7th. Was sent to Stalag 17B near Krems, Austria. April 8, 1945, as P.O.W., was marched across Austria to Braunau, where he was liberated by the 13th Armored Division, US 3rd Army on May 2, 1945. Discharged November 17, 1945. Awarded American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, EAME Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Air Crew Member Badge, Air Medal and later the P.O.W. Medal. Retired from Norris Industries, tool and die supervisor, January 31, 1987. Married Betty K. Marshall Feb. 19, 1946; one daughter, Sandra Kay and three grandchildren. Died Oct. 9, 1990. Interred Riverside National Cemetery, Riverside, CA." (His widow Betty passed away in June 2011).
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12051907 at enlistment, then O-671085
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37232879
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19082184 at enlistment, then O-678377
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18217123
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14101673 at enlistment, then O-679083
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Career Girl
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 1 December 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Elm Grove, West Virginia, USA | 27 January 1922 | |
Enlisted |
Clarksburg, West Virginia, USA | 22 October 1942 | |
Other Evaded capture |
1 December 1943 - 7 December 1943 | with the help of French citizens. Arrested a few days later. | |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Austria | 7 December 1943 - 2 May 1945 | Interned at Stalag XVIIB Braunau-Gneikendorf, near Krems, Austria. NARA WWII POW record : “Returned to Military Control 13 July 1945.” |
Died |
9 October 1990 | ||
Elm Grove, West Virginia, USA | |||
Buried |
Riverside, California, USA | Riverside National Cemetery |
Revisions
Added a connection to Stalag 17B per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Updated the location of the "POW" event per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
MACR 1325
NARA WWII Enlistment records
WWII Draft card
NARA WWII POW records
Veterans Affairs BIRLS death File
“Air Forces Escape & Evasion Society” – Turner Publishing Cy, Paducah, KY - 1992
Combat Chronology / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1325 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database