S/Sgt Edward P Thornton;

15 May 44: 446th BS War Diary: The squadron loses Lt. George Walsh, Lt. Harry B. Wilcox, Lt. Roy W. Lee, Technical Sergeant James Raymond Orechia, Staff Sgt. E.P. Thornton and Staff Sgt. Lawrence Shellhamer in a crash landing at our field. A crash landing was made and the plane burned upon striking the ground with all members of the crew killed. Another of our ships had to be landed in the water and the crew was rescued by Air Sea Rescue patrols. A third ship was forced down at Pianosa Island held by the enemy and the following men are presumed to be Prisoners of War: Lts. Othick, Mayfield, Griffin and EM Youngblood, Cobb and Miller. Sergeant Napoliello, on the sea crash plane, had to make his second parachute jump and both leaps were on the same day of the same month. He made a jump on May 15th of 1943 in Mississippi.

Lee, Roy N., 2Lt, pilot

Orechia, James R., T/Sgt, radio-gunner

Shellhamer, Lawrence, S/Sgt, engineer-gunner

Thornton, Edward P., S/Sgt, gunner

Walsh, George F., Lt, pilot Wilcox,

Harry B., Jr., 2Lt, bombardier

**Walsh LOSS;**

446th BS George Walsh, Pilot of "Peg O'My Heart" #42-32394 (KIA 15 May'44)

Fatal Crash unpon Landing from Mission, Ship #42-32429 (Flamingo)

321stBG,446thBS "Flamingo" # 42-32429 /Fatal CRASH 15 May '44

Lt Geo.Walsh, Pilot, crash landed, at the home-base, hitting the runway, the plane exploded and burned. All Died. P) Walsh, CP) Roy Lee, Bomb) Lt Harry B Wilcox, Jr. E) L.Shellhamer, R) J. Orechia, G) E. Thornton.

Edward P. Thornton Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces Service # 20109065 446th Bomber Squadron, 321st Bomber Group, Medium Entered the Service from: Massachusetts Died: 15-May-44 Buried at: Plot H Row 12 Grave 40 Sicily-Rome American Cemetery Nettuno, Italy Awards: Purple Heart
http://www.abmc.gov/search/detailwwnew.php

Edward was buried in the Bastia Cemetery on Corsica and moved to the Nettuno American Cemetery in Italy in April of 1945. (Info from the 57th BW "Men of the 57th, 1990 Issue and researched by Corsican Historian Dominique Taddei). Barbara Ennis Connolly… 321st Bomb Group Historian, PRINCESSBARBI_B25@msn.com

321st Bomb Group Histories have been made available through the dedicated efforts of the 321st BG History Team; John Fitzgerald (446th BS Jack Fitzgerald) Barbara Ennis Connolly, Historian (447th BS Edward C Ennis) and Patti Johnson (446th BS James Raymond Orechia/KIA)

John Fitzgerald does magic with computer skills and types like the wind… Barbi Ennis Connolly, 321st BG Historian speaks with the Vets and families and gathers the photo’s and info… Patti Johnson is our “needle in the haystack gal”… genealogy, ancestry and etc.

Edward P // // Thornton