The Last Pilot of the Last Ship in the Squadron
The intended mission of Lieutenant Roger Pagels’ P-51 of the 357th Fighter Group was a patrol of the area SW of Guernsey Island on June 6, 1944.
P-51 tail # 43-6397 was one of three combat losses for the unit this day. Another flyer, Captain Paul K. De Vries, was the last to see this Mustang.
“….Lt. ROGER E PAGELS was the pilot of the last ship in the Squadron formation. I saw Lt. PAGELS' ship take off. That was the last time anyone is known to have seen or heard from Lt....
Fighter Sweep to Meiktila
Twenty P-38 Lightning’s of the 459th Fighter Squadron left their base at Chittagong (present-day Bangladesh) for a fighter sweep against Japanese Army positions in Meiktila, Burma (Myanmar) on June 6, 1944. Two of the American fighters were downed.
Second Lieutenant William C. Baumeister, Jr., reported that he talked to one of the missing, Captain Walter F. Duke, on “several occasions” during the mission via radio:
Lieutenant Baumeister also witnessed the plane piloted by 1st...
The World War II Dead of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
More than 260 UCLA students, faculty and alumni were killed in World War II; only Harvard University suffered more casualties. As a two-time graduate of UCLA, I was honored to research every one of their stories in order to memorialize their sacrifices, their humanity, and their often heroic last acts.
A summary of how and where they died provides a snapshot of the American military experience in World War II. My files consist of many hundreds of pages of military service records,...
Lieutenant Edward P. Haupt and the USS Grampus
The submarine USS Grampus (named for a species of dolphin) was commissioned by the Electric Boat Yard at New London, CT, on May 23. 1941. Few there that day would have guessed that its service in the United States Navy would be of less than two years' duration and that its crew of 71 men would be lost forever.
A line officer on the Grampus was Lieutenant Edwin Paul Haupt. Although he was born in Los Angeles, he spent much of his boyhood in Tulare, California. As a young...
Five From the 464th Bomb Group
The 15th Army Air Force, based in...Wee Willie and the photo that started it all
Above is B-17 “Wee Willie”...Debut for Debach
It was the very first combat mission...From Panatella to Ploesti
The 15th Army Air Force, based in...Six B-24s From Baker Box Downed
The men – the boys, really...The World War II Dead of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
More than 260 UCLA students, faculty ...
Talk Radio One’s Steven Spierer Interviews WW2 Researcher Bill Beigel
Steven Spierer Talk Radio One Interview...Captain Norman L. Aigner: An Ordinary Guy
If you’ve been reading my blog with...Tomas Garza’s Daughter – “Now I Don’t Feel Empty”
Like most children of World War II...“Fresno Marine Dies in Action in Pacific War” – Fresno Bee, Oct 21, 1944
Private First Class Huston R. Fannon,...“Fresno Officer Dies in Action on German Front,” Fresno Bee, April 3, 1945
This article is part of a series...The Pheley Brothers of Fresno, California
This article is part of a series...
Wee Willie and the photo that started it all
My father was Paul D Jessop, he spoke of your Grandfather a lot. My father passed away in 2011 .The World War II Dead of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
Hi Bill, Thanks for putting this together. My grand uncle, 2nd Lt. Robert L. Woolfolk attended UCLA and I believe he graduated in 1936. He was on the waterpolo team. He was a bombardier in the 571st Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group and his aircraft "Decatur Deb" was shot down on May 28, 1944. He and six others perished while three were able bail out and became POWs. This is written up the in the book "Bloody Skies: U.S. Eighth Air Force Battle Damage in World War II." There is a B-17G tail gunner's compartment on display at the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Museum, which is dedicated to this crew. Regards, Nick VeronicoBill’s WW2 Almanac for January 21: Featuring Col. Randy’s Flying Circus
Hi! Randall Col Randy is actually my great grandfather and I was wandering if you ever new him? I am curious to know more about him.Women in WWII: Cornelia Clark Fort
Interesting....very hard to know the 'who hit who'.....Fort had enough flying time to be a instructor, I know nothing about the other pilot. If Pastor Jeff had information on her being talked into a situation, I would love to know if reliable. Regardless, so many losses in so many ways.... My take is the WAFS/WASPS deserve a bit more of history's 'time in the books'. Many thanks for the commentary, StarrRemembering the Fallen: WWII Veterans of UCLA, Major Robert C. Maze
Bill, Are you still working on this blog? Rosemarie is my mother in law. She passed away 10 years ago. Her (and Roberts') son Robert Maze Jr is alive and well. I was googling Admiral Radford and ended up googling links... Thank you for your efforts here. Kim WoodsFrom Panatella to Ploesti
I’m looking for information on My Great great GRANDFATHER WAS ON A B-24 LIBERATOR CALLED: Diamond li
Bill’s WWII Almanac
