bigpigeon.us webarea WW II - Germany > ETO > ETO Air War, updated by RAC 7 Sep 2020.
The air war in the European Theater of Operations was a continuation of the air war between England and Germany fought by the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe, the German air force.
The ETO Air War was characterized by the use of thousands of US and English heavy bombers based in southern England against targets in Germany and elsewhere in occupied Europe. It tied up large portions of the German war machine, but resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Allied air crew and hundreds of thousands of civilians, especially in Germany, but also in France and the other occupied countries.
The German cities most affected included Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Dresden.
Most Americans who died while participating in the ETO Air War were members of either the 8th Air Force, which conducted the heavy bombing campaign, or the 9th Air Force, which provided fighter, light and medium bomber, and troop carrier and cargo aircraft.
The air war in the European Theater of Operations was a continuation of the air war between England and Germany fought by the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe, the German air force.
The ETO Air War was characterized by the use of thousands of US and English heavy bombers based in southern England against targets in Germany and elsewhere in occupied Europe. It tied up large portions of the German war machine, but resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Allied air crew and hundreds of thousands of civilians, especially in Germany, but also in France and the other occupied countries.
The German cities most affected included Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Dresden.
Most Americans who died while participating in the ETO Air War were members of either the 8th Air Force, which conducted the heavy bombing campaign, or the 9th Air Force, which provided fighter, light and medium bomber, and troop carrier and cargo aircraft.
Sources for the ETO Air War webpage:
- The page header photo B-24 Lost to Flak is courtesy of pinterest.
Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead - ETO Air War
(taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea)
03-08 - ETO Air War: (twenty-nine dead, updated updated 8 Aug 2020)
† Anderson, Virgil Wendell, SN T-003902, USAAF, Buena Vista and Pott. Cos.
440th Troop Carrier Gp., 9th AF; C-47A #42-100906 pilot; KIA 27 Dec 1944 near St. Hubert, W of Bastogne, Belgium; plane crashed during glider tow mission, three died, two lived.
† Blaylock, John Robert “Bob”, SN O-437451, USAAF, Pott. Co.
C.O. 510th Bomb. Sqdn., 351st Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Polebrook, Northamptonshire; B-17 #42-37731 pilot; KIA 31 Dec 1943 near Royan, SW France; plane shot down after raid on Bordeaux, parachute failed.
† Cohen, Irving, SN O-771221, USAAF, Pott. Co.
728 Bomb. Sqdn; 452 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Deopham Green, Norfolk; B-17 #42-97534 pilot, KIA on his first mission 25 Nov 1944 over Harren, N of Aachen, Germany; plane exploded in mid-air after direct flak hit, seven crew dead, two POW.
† Delong, Lloyd, SN 37-117-114, USAAF, Pott. Co.
409th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF; DNB 3 Nov 1944 at Fleury-Mérogis near Paris, France; head injuries from falling from a moving truck.
† Dideriksen, Robert Warren, SN O-2044637, USAAF, Pott. & Page Cos.
14th Photo Recon. Sqdn., 7th Recon. Gp., 8th AF, based at Mount Farm, N of Dorchester, Oxfordshire, England; British Spitfire PR Mk XI, #PL790 pilot; KIA 15 Jun 1944 near Paris, France; shot down by German Me-109s.
† Downs, Thomas George, SN O-745648, USAAF, Pott. Co.
85th Troop Carrier Sqdn., 437th Troop Carrier Gp., 9th AF; C-47A #43-15655 pilot; DNB 27 Aug 1944 at landing field ALG A-22 near Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France; crashed while landing, four dead.
† Emerson, Charles Waldo, SN 37-485-764, USAAF, Pott. Co.
418th Bomb. Sqdn., 100th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17G 43-37517 Heaven Can Wait tail gunner; WIA 11 Sep 1944 over Ruhland, Germany; DOW 30 Sep 1944 in hospital, England.
† Evers, Leland Junior, SN O-748386, USAAF, Pott. Co.
730 Bomb. Sqdn., 452 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B17-G #42-31334 pilot; KIA 12 Apr 1944 over North Sea; plane ditched returning from mission, six died; BNR.
† Friend, James Junior, SN O-746080, USAAF, Pott. Co.
551st Bomb. Sqdn., 385th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17F #42-30822 co-pilot; KIA 25 Feb 1944 over Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany; mid-air explosion from flak.
† Gustafson, Dale Eldon, SN 19-127-645, USAAF, Pott. Co.
250th Bomb. Sqdn., 100th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #42-102611 left waist gunner; KIA 27 Jun 1944, near Great Yarmouth, England, plane lost during training flight; BNR.
† Howard, Charles Joseph, SN 17-131-392 & O-2067716, USAAF, Pott. Co.
37th Bomb. Sqdn., 17th Bomb Gp., 12th AF, stationed at Dijon, France; B-26F #42-96326 copilot, KIA 26 Apr 1945 over southern Germany, plane shot down by ME-262 jet fighter from elite Luftwaffe squadron JV-44 led by General Adolf Galland, crew of six lost.
† Kersten, Lloyd Wesley, O-819918, USAAF, Harrison Co.
836th Bomb. Sqdn., 487th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, Lavenham, Suffolk, England; B-17G #43-37877 pilot; KIA 30 Nov 1944, Theissen, Burgenlandkreis, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany; shot down by flak over secondary target; seven died, two POW.
† Kussman, Edward William, SN 37-261-765, USAAF, Pott. Co.
396 Bomb. Sqdn., 492nd Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24 #42-50331 waist gunner; KIA 31 Mar 1945 near Kirkwall, Orkney Is., Scotland; aborted Operation Carpetbagger mission; 13 dead included six Norwegian Special Forces members; one survivor.
† McCord, George Melvin, SN 37-651-218, USAAF, Harrison Co.
785th Bomb. Sqdn., 766th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24H #41-29466 right waist gunner, KIA 23 Mar 1944 over St. Jansklooster, NE of Amsterdam, Netherlands; mid-air collision.
† Melton, Derald William, SN 17-131-529, USAAF, Pott. Co.
547th Bomb. Sqdn., 384th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17G #42-10783 bombardier; KIA 27 Dec 1944 near Arenberg, E of Koblenz, Germany; plane lost rear section from flak & crashed, eight died, two lived
† Napier, Roy Hugh, SN O-769905, USAAF, Pott. Co.
485th Fighter Sqdn., 370th Fighter Gp., 9th AF, based at Florennes-Juzaine, Belgium; P-38J #42-67822 pilot; KIA 3 Jan 1945; aircraft crash.
† Narvis, Charles William, SN O-698999, USAAF, Muscatine Co.
375th Fighter Sqdn., 351th Fighter Gp., 8th AF; P-51 Mustang #44-14226 Babe pilot; KIA 2 Nov 1944 10 miles E of Gottingen, Lower Saxony, Germany.
† Petrus, Richard Marvin, SN 17-148-212, USAAF, Pott. Co.
706th Bomb. Sqdn., 466 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24 #42-50790 tail gunner; KIA 11 Apr 1945 SW of Bungay/Flixton airbase, Suffolk, England; two returning bombers collided, no survivors.
† Pogge, George Hubert, SN O-718974, USAAF, Pott. Co.
714th Bomb. Sqdn., 448th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24H #42-95134 navigator; KIA 26 Aug 1944 near Ludwigshafen, Germany.
† Schaupp, Dale John, SN 17-123-462, USAAF, Harrison Co.
600th Bomb. Sqdn., 398th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, Nuthamstead, Hampshire, England; B-17G #42-97339 flight engineer/top turret gunner; KIA 19 May 1944 near Berlin, Germany; plane hit by flak and by debris from an overhead plane; eight died, two POW.
† Smith, Henry Clayton, SN 37-480-433, USAAF, Mills Co.
494th Bomb. Sqdn., 344th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF, Stansted, near Bishop Stortford, England; Martin Marauder B-26G5 #43-34406 tail gunner; KIA 23 Sep 1944 near Venlo, SE Netherlands; plane shot down by flak; two crew may have survived, remaining four died.
† Spedding, Edward William, SN O-767677, USAAF, Oswego Co., NY
409th Bomb. Sqdn., 93rd Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24J #42-109815 co-pilot, KIA 5 Nov 1944 over Netherlands.
† Stith, George Noel, SN O-697177, USAAF, Pott. Co.
557th Bomb. Sqdn., 387th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF; based at Clastres, France, E of Amiens; B-26F #42-96309 pilot; KIA 23 Dec 1944, near Bastogne, Belgium; plane returning from bombing mission over Hagen, Germany shot down by flak; three killed, four captured.
† Stockman, Kenneth Herman, SN 37-482-024, USAAF, Pott. Co.
427th Bomb. Sqdn., 303 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #43-38057 radio operator; KIA 9 Nov 1944 near Molesworth Air Base, England; mid-air collision while assembling for raid over Schweinfurt, one survivor.
† Sweeny, Duane Grant Henry, SN O-770836, USAAF, Pott. Co.
568th Bomb. Sqdn., 390th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #42-32026 pilot; KIA 30 Nov 1944 over North Sea; plane iced up & crashed on mission to Kassel; all nine crew lost; BNR.
† Wentz, William Findley, SN 17-069-660, USAAF, Black Hawk Co.
785th Bomber Sqdn., 466th Bomber Gp., 8th AF, based at Attlebridge, England; B-24H Liberator #42-52555 Ol' Tom Cat flight engineer; KIA 9 May 1944 on mission to Tutow, E of Rostock, Germany, ditched in North Sea, no survivors; BNR.
† Wilcox, Blaine Bertrand, SN O-772098, USAAF, Mills Co.
613th Bomb. Sqdn. 401st Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Dennethorpe, Northhampshire, England; B-17G Flying Fortress #42-31801 Son-of-a-Blitz bombardier; KIA 7 Oct 1944, crashed Politz, between Hamburg & Lubeck, Germany, flak, nine died.
† Wilcox, Stewart La Val, SN T-062027, USAAF, Mills Co. & Delaware
613 Bomb. Sqdn., 401 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Dennethorpe, Northhampshire, England; B-17 Flying Fortress #42-32005 co-pilot; KIA 24 Jul 1944 English Channel, plane caught fire returning from raid over St. Lo, France, all nine bailed out over English Channel, all rescued except for Flight Officer Stewart Wilcox; BNR.
† Yergey, Stanley Allen, SN O-717010, USAAF, Douglas Co., NE
853th Bomb. Sqdn., 491th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Metfield, Suffolk, England; B-24 Liberator #44-10485 Dorty Treek bombardier; KIA 26 Nov 1944, shot down at Sarstedt, S of Hanover, Germany.
(taken from the bigpigeon.us WW II Dead webarea)
03-08 - ETO Air War: (twenty-nine dead, updated updated 8 Aug 2020)
† Anderson, Virgil Wendell, SN T-003902, USAAF, Buena Vista and Pott. Cos.
440th Troop Carrier Gp., 9th AF; C-47A #42-100906 pilot; KIA 27 Dec 1944 near St. Hubert, W of Bastogne, Belgium; plane crashed during glider tow mission, three died, two lived.
† Blaylock, John Robert “Bob”, SN O-437451, USAAF, Pott. Co.
C.O. 510th Bomb. Sqdn., 351st Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Polebrook, Northamptonshire; B-17 #42-37731 pilot; KIA 31 Dec 1943 near Royan, SW France; plane shot down after raid on Bordeaux, parachute failed.
† Cohen, Irving, SN O-771221, USAAF, Pott. Co.
728 Bomb. Sqdn; 452 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Deopham Green, Norfolk; B-17 #42-97534 pilot, KIA on his first mission 25 Nov 1944 over Harren, N of Aachen, Germany; plane exploded in mid-air after direct flak hit, seven crew dead, two POW.
† Delong, Lloyd, SN 37-117-114, USAAF, Pott. Co.
409th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF; DNB 3 Nov 1944 at Fleury-Mérogis near Paris, France; head injuries from falling from a moving truck.
† Dideriksen, Robert Warren, SN O-2044637, USAAF, Pott. & Page Cos.
14th Photo Recon. Sqdn., 7th Recon. Gp., 8th AF, based at Mount Farm, N of Dorchester, Oxfordshire, England; British Spitfire PR Mk XI, #PL790 pilot; KIA 15 Jun 1944 near Paris, France; shot down by German Me-109s.
† Downs, Thomas George, SN O-745648, USAAF, Pott. Co.
85th Troop Carrier Sqdn., 437th Troop Carrier Gp., 9th AF; C-47A #43-15655 pilot; DNB 27 Aug 1944 at landing field ALG A-22 near Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France; crashed while landing, four dead.
† Emerson, Charles Waldo, SN 37-485-764, USAAF, Pott. Co.
418th Bomb. Sqdn., 100th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17G 43-37517 Heaven Can Wait tail gunner; WIA 11 Sep 1944 over Ruhland, Germany; DOW 30 Sep 1944 in hospital, England.
† Evers, Leland Junior, SN O-748386, USAAF, Pott. Co.
730 Bomb. Sqdn., 452 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B17-G #42-31334 pilot; KIA 12 Apr 1944 over North Sea; plane ditched returning from mission, six died; BNR.
† Friend, James Junior, SN O-746080, USAAF, Pott. Co.
551st Bomb. Sqdn., 385th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17F #42-30822 co-pilot; KIA 25 Feb 1944 over Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany; mid-air explosion from flak.
† Gustafson, Dale Eldon, SN 19-127-645, USAAF, Pott. Co.
250th Bomb. Sqdn., 100th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #42-102611 left waist gunner; KIA 27 Jun 1944, near Great Yarmouth, England, plane lost during training flight; BNR.
† Howard, Charles Joseph, SN 17-131-392 & O-2067716, USAAF, Pott. Co.
37th Bomb. Sqdn., 17th Bomb Gp., 12th AF, stationed at Dijon, France; B-26F #42-96326 copilot, KIA 26 Apr 1945 over southern Germany, plane shot down by ME-262 jet fighter from elite Luftwaffe squadron JV-44 led by General Adolf Galland, crew of six lost.
† Kersten, Lloyd Wesley, O-819918, USAAF, Harrison Co.
836th Bomb. Sqdn., 487th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, Lavenham, Suffolk, England; B-17G #43-37877 pilot; KIA 30 Nov 1944, Theissen, Burgenlandkreis, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany; shot down by flak over secondary target; seven died, two POW.
† Kussman, Edward William, SN 37-261-765, USAAF, Pott. Co.
396 Bomb. Sqdn., 492nd Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24 #42-50331 waist gunner; KIA 31 Mar 1945 near Kirkwall, Orkney Is., Scotland; aborted Operation Carpetbagger mission; 13 dead included six Norwegian Special Forces members; one survivor.
† McCord, George Melvin, SN 37-651-218, USAAF, Harrison Co.
785th Bomb. Sqdn., 766th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24H #41-29466 right waist gunner, KIA 23 Mar 1944 over St. Jansklooster, NE of Amsterdam, Netherlands; mid-air collision.
† Melton, Derald William, SN 17-131-529, USAAF, Pott. Co.
547th Bomb. Sqdn., 384th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17G #42-10783 bombardier; KIA 27 Dec 1944 near Arenberg, E of Koblenz, Germany; plane lost rear section from flak & crashed, eight died, two lived
† Napier, Roy Hugh, SN O-769905, USAAF, Pott. Co.
485th Fighter Sqdn., 370th Fighter Gp., 9th AF, based at Florennes-Juzaine, Belgium; P-38J #42-67822 pilot; KIA 3 Jan 1945; aircraft crash.
† Narvis, Charles William, SN O-698999, USAAF, Muscatine Co.
375th Fighter Sqdn., 351th Fighter Gp., 8th AF; P-51 Mustang #44-14226 Babe pilot; KIA 2 Nov 1944 10 miles E of Gottingen, Lower Saxony, Germany.
† Petrus, Richard Marvin, SN 17-148-212, USAAF, Pott. Co.
706th Bomb. Sqdn., 466 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24 #42-50790 tail gunner; KIA 11 Apr 1945 SW of Bungay/Flixton airbase, Suffolk, England; two returning bombers collided, no survivors.
† Pogge, George Hubert, SN O-718974, USAAF, Pott. Co.
714th Bomb. Sqdn., 448th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24H #42-95134 navigator; KIA 26 Aug 1944 near Ludwigshafen, Germany.
† Schaupp, Dale John, SN 17-123-462, USAAF, Harrison Co.
600th Bomb. Sqdn., 398th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, Nuthamstead, Hampshire, England; B-17G #42-97339 flight engineer/top turret gunner; KIA 19 May 1944 near Berlin, Germany; plane hit by flak and by debris from an overhead plane; eight died, two POW.
† Smith, Henry Clayton, SN 37-480-433, USAAF, Mills Co.
494th Bomb. Sqdn., 344th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF, Stansted, near Bishop Stortford, England; Martin Marauder B-26G5 #43-34406 tail gunner; KIA 23 Sep 1944 near Venlo, SE Netherlands; plane shot down by flak; two crew may have survived, remaining four died.
† Spedding, Edward William, SN O-767677, USAAF, Oswego Co., NY
409th Bomb. Sqdn., 93rd Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-24J #42-109815 co-pilot, KIA 5 Nov 1944 over Netherlands.
† Stith, George Noel, SN O-697177, USAAF, Pott. Co.
557th Bomb. Sqdn., 387th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF; based at Clastres, France, E of Amiens; B-26F #42-96309 pilot; KIA 23 Dec 1944, near Bastogne, Belgium; plane returning from bombing mission over Hagen, Germany shot down by flak; three killed, four captured.
† Stockman, Kenneth Herman, SN 37-482-024, USAAF, Pott. Co.
427th Bomb. Sqdn., 303 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #43-38057 radio operator; KIA 9 Nov 1944 near Molesworth Air Base, England; mid-air collision while assembling for raid over Schweinfurt, one survivor.
† Sweeny, Duane Grant Henry, SN O-770836, USAAF, Pott. Co.
568th Bomb. Sqdn., 390th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; B-17 #42-32026 pilot; KIA 30 Nov 1944 over North Sea; plane iced up & crashed on mission to Kassel; all nine crew lost; BNR.
† Wentz, William Findley, SN 17-069-660, USAAF, Black Hawk Co.
785th Bomber Sqdn., 466th Bomber Gp., 8th AF, based at Attlebridge, England; B-24H Liberator #42-52555 Ol' Tom Cat flight engineer; KIA 9 May 1944 on mission to Tutow, E of Rostock, Germany, ditched in North Sea, no survivors; BNR.
† Wilcox, Blaine Bertrand, SN O-772098, USAAF, Mills Co.
613th Bomb. Sqdn. 401st Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Dennethorpe, Northhampshire, England; B-17G Flying Fortress #42-31801 Son-of-a-Blitz bombardier; KIA 7 Oct 1944, crashed Politz, between Hamburg & Lubeck, Germany, flak, nine died.
† Wilcox, Stewart La Val, SN T-062027, USAAF, Mills Co. & Delaware
613 Bomb. Sqdn., 401 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Dennethorpe, Northhampshire, England; B-17 Flying Fortress #42-32005 co-pilot; KIA 24 Jul 1944 English Channel, plane caught fire returning from raid over St. Lo, France, all nine bailed out over English Channel, all rescued except for Flight Officer Stewart Wilcox; BNR.
† Yergey, Stanley Allen, SN O-717010, USAAF, Douglas Co., NE
853th Bomb. Sqdn., 491th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Metfield, Suffolk, England; B-24 Liberator #44-10485 Dorty Treek bombardier; KIA 26 Nov 1944, shot down at Sarstedt, S of Hanover, Germany.