You can Search the 450th Website from here Enter Your Search Criteria and click on the Magnifying Glass


Home Page «
Contact Us «
Terms of Use «


Current Newsletter «
Film & Books «
Reunion Pictures «
Site Updates «


Main Roster «
POW's «
Escape Statements «
Cemetery Listings «
Orders «
TAPS «


450th History «
Missions Flown «
S2 Reports «
Pilot-Bombardier Reports «
Operational Analysis «
Navigator Logs «
Aircraft Pictures «
Accident Reports «
M.A.C. Reports «
Crew Pictures «
Ground Personnel «
Veteran's Biographies «
Unidentified Personnel «
Veteran's Stories «
Target Pictures «
Maps «
Miscellaneous Pictures «
Newspaper Articles «
47th Wing Documents «
331st Air Service «
1st C.C.U. «


Current Guest Book «
Archived Guest Book «


Search Page «
Links Page «

 
S/Sgt. Fred L. Burgin
723rd Squadron


S/Sgt Burgin was assigned to the 723rd Bomb Squadron in the 450th Bomb Group, based in Manduria, Italy. On March 19, 1944, he was the top turret gunner/engineer on the Breezie Weezie, a B-24H, serial #42-52613. His target for the day was Steyr, Austria. One US witness, a nose gunner in another B24, saw Burgin's ship leave the formation about 10 minutes before the target; when last seen, Burgin's ship was at 10,000 feet and the #4 propeller was feathered but the B-24 still appeared under control. This witness saw no parachutes. Another witness, the top turret gunner in a different ship, saw your grandfather's plane leave the formation at 21,000 ft. He reported, "The ship went down in a 20 percent glide with one engine feathered and losing altitude rapidly." When he law saw the plane, it was smoking badly but it seemed under control. He also saw no parachutes leave the plane. According to the German records, the plane impacted 200 meters west of the middle of Burgstallt near St. Margarethen on the Raab in Steiermark. They said it was shot down by fighters. Condition of the plane: 100 percent cracked up, up to the 2 guns in the tail gun position. Tail gun position completely destroyed. S/Sgt. Burgin and 7 others in the crew were captured by rural police at 2:10 PM. Eight of the crew became POWs but 2 were killed. Sgt. Prescott and Sgt. Hentz were last seen in the waist or tail of the plane. Fighter attacks continued while the rest of the crew bailed out, so they may have been killed before they could exit the plane. There is a handwritten note in the MACR where copilot 2Lt Walter R. Keesling recommended his crew for a Distinguished Flying Cross for "flying flack shot up plane and fighting off 12 ME 109s between Steyr to other side of Graz (20 mi. ??) before bailing out." There is nothing in the MACR that says whether the crew was awarded the DFC or not.



Link To Additional Information

Link To Crew Information
 




If any information is being used out of context or if you would like to use some of this information, please contact the Webmaster

Terms of Use and Disclaimer Statement

Copyright © 1999 - 2024, Mark Worthington & the 450th Bomb Group Memorial Association