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7th May 1944On this day:
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Remembering those who died this day.
- Amana Joseph. T/Sgt. (d.7th May 1944)
- Clermont Justin Gerard. F/O. (d.7th May 1944)
- McLeod John Wilbert. F/Sgt (d.7th May 1944)
- Shearer James Maxwell. F/Lt. (d.7th May 1944)
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
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Want to know more about the 7th of May 1944? There are:26 items tagged 7th of May 1944 available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Stories from 7th May 1944
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F/Sgt John Wilbert McLeod. Royal Australian Air Force, 576 Sqdn.. (d.7th May 1944) My uncle J W McLeod was killed on 7th May 1944 along with most of the rest of the Lancaster crew of pilot J M Shearer (RNZAF 415721). They were shot down about 59 kms north of Le Mans.Tony McLeod
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F/Lt. James Maxwell Shearer. Royal New Zealand Air Force, 576 Sqdn.. (d.7th May 1944) Pilot J M Shearer was killed on 7th May 1944, along with most of his crew. They were shot down about 59 kms north of Le Mans.
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F/O. Justin Gerard Clermont. Royal Canadian Air Force, 175 Sqdn.. (d.7th May 1944) Flying Officer Justin Clermont was killed when his Typhoon (JR257/HH-W) crashed on the Stansted Park Estate, Rowlands Castle, Hampshire on 7th May 1944 when, according to eyewitnesses, his engine caught fire a few minutes after taking off from RAF Tangmere unfortunately a well known phenomenon with the Napier engine fitted to the Typhoon).
A simple wooden War Memorial to Justin was erected at Stansted Park by Mr Graham Alderson in 1944 which, unfortunately, has deteriorated over the last few years.
The Friends of Stansted Park Committee have now rebuilt the memorial as a fitting tribute to perpetuate Justin's memory.
Justin was born on 11th November 1921 in the small town of Cochrane, Ontario, Canada. His parents were Joseph Agapit Clermont and Delima Clermont (nee Lalumiere).
Justin's RAF Squadron was based at Homsley Airfield in the New Forest. His body is buried in Brookfield Military Cemetery.
On 6th May 2016 a memorial service will be held at Stansted Park. In attendance will be members of his family and a representative of the Canadian Embassy, London.
Robert Godwin
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T/Sgt. Joseph Amana. USAAF, 339th Squadron 96th Bomb Group. (d.7th May 1944) T/Sgt Joseph Amanna was assigned to the 96th Bomb Group, 339th Squadron, and, when a staff sergeant, was the right waist gunner on B-17F Rikki Tikki Tavi #42-3324, coded QJ-H, flying from Station 138, Snetterton Heath Airbase near Attleborough, England.
He was promoted to Tech Sergeant after completing a number of missions, and on the May 7th mission when he was killed, he was the radio operator of the Fortress. The pilot's name was Lt. Neil H. Behrens. The complete crew who flew with my uncle on the fateful day was as follows:
- Pilot 2/Lt Neil H. Behrens. PoW
- Co Pilot 2/Lt Gordon N Spring. Killed
- Navigator 2/Lt Robert A. Dulaney. Killed
- Bombardier 2/Lt Thomas J. McRae. Killed
- Radio T/Sgt Joseph J. Amanna. Killed
- Eng. T/sgt Carrol W. Taylor. PoW
- Ball Turret S/Sgt Joseph R. Neuhuettler. Killed
- Waist Gunner S/Sgt Dinno Armanini. Killed
- Waist Gunner S/Sgt Willis A. Bryant. Killed
- Tail Gunner S/Sgt Charles E. Douglas. Killed
The Missing Air Crew Report #4565, and the accounts of the pilot, Lt. Behrens, and the engineer, T/Sgt Taylor, provide the following account of the mission:
7th of May 1944 had brought a milestone in combat for the 8th. For the first time the significant figure of 1,000 bombers (B-17s and B-24s) was dispatched for missions. The main target for this mission was a day attack on Berlin. Despite problems with the valves of the Tokio tank, which had frozen, the Rikki Tikki Tavi had completed its' mission and successfully released its bombs over Berlin. On returning from the target, the pilot reduced the altitude in an attempt to defrost the hydraulic fluid, which operates the valves to the Tokio Tanks, which had frozen up making it impossible for the crew to obtain the fuel in the tokio tanks. The official army accident reports states that three of the engines failed. Basically, the plane ran out of gas just after it left the target, because of the hydraulics failure. Lt. Neil Behrens, the pilot, crawled back to the bomb bay area to try to adjust it. He was unable to open the valve. After getting to lower altitude, the pilot gave orders to bail out. The navigator and Sgt Taylor were the first out. Lt. Neil Behrens, the pilot, jumped separately and by his account was thrown out of the bomb bay doors from the extreme G forces. After their jumps the plane sustained a direct hit by flak, exploded and crashed. Only Lt. Behrens and Sgt Taylor survived. Louis Badolato
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