WW2 Pilot grouping 8th air force

[kai robert]

I have a grouping on it´s way home to me, Thomas Herbert Gunn, enlisted may -42, pilot in 8th air force, 91st bomb group during ww2, served in Korea and Vietnam and retired as a Colonel. Can´t find much about him on the net (google). Does anyone know something about him or where should I look?

 

Picture of him from the 50ths and his latest ribbon bar.

[Dakota]

Can't wait to see more pictures! Did you find out what Squadron he was with in the 91st?

 

 

 

 

Edit: Shortly after posting this, I typed his name in and found this: http://www.91stbombgroup.com/crewphotos/shooshoobaby.html

Appears he was one of the Pilots of the "Shoo Shoo Baby" with the 401st Squadron.

 

I also found this: http://www.91stbombgroup.com/crewphotos/littlepatches.html

regarding him as a Pilot of another aircraft.

 

This PDF file includes numerous information of him aswell including his promotion to Captain, and assignment to the 324th: http://www.91stbombgroup.com/Dailies/401st_dailies.pdf

 

 

 

 

D

[kai robert]

Yes, the seller mentioned "Shoo Shoo Baby", "Little Patches" and "Betty Lous Buggy". He will provide some research regarding these planes, can´t wait.

 

Looks like he was in both 324st and 401th. squadron.

 

I did found some of his history.

Enlisted 25 may -42, 2nd Lt 26 june -43, 1st Lt 9 april -44, capt. 11 juni -44, maj 18 june -47.

[kai robert]

 

 

This PDF file includes numerous information of him aswell including his promotion to Captain, and assignment to the 324th: http://www.91stbombgroup.com/Dailies/401st_dailies.pdf

 

 

 

 

D

 

Thanks for that PDF. I found the 91st page and found the dailies for the 324th as well, interesting.

 

Eschwege, Germany 19 April 1944

A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS

579 Lt. Malvik None None Major Damage due to 20 m.m.

975 Lt. Burch “ ” None None

027 Lt. Bilotta 2 - 0 - 0 “ ”

610 Lt. Cater None “ ‘ Reported poor bombing results.

938 Lt. Gunn 2 - 0 - 0 Three Major Co-Pilot hit by 20m.m., Togglier

burned by glass. Navigator injured

on legs by splinters.

006 Lt. Swenumson ------ Missing in Action --------

033 Lt. Brennan None None None Fighter support fair.

Target: GAF Station - Air Park and A/D.

Squadron Losses: Ten missing (Personnel)

I also have a newspaper article about that day,his plans was badly damaged, they wrote.

Gunn landed the shot-up B-17 down safely, despite a locked brake. "It was a pile of junk," Parks said, describing the bomber, which never flew again. A total of 50 airmen died, and five Flying Fortresses went down on the mission

 

 

[kai robert]

Some more pictures and info. The uniform is from the 60ths when he was Colonel, it´s dated -66. It´s the uniform he has on the picture when he retire, must be around 1970. (He enlisted 1942 and served 28 yrs). Photo taken in a studio in London in the 40ths, a gavel from his time as pres. of the 91st BG association, a membership plaque and some info of his service.

 

Enlisted 25 May -42

A.C. 20 Sept. -42 to 26 June -43. Whats A.C.?

2nd Lt 26 June -43 A.D. Whats A.D.?

1st Lt 9 April -44.

 

Havn´t found out what he did between june-43 and april -44 but it was probebly in this period that he flew P-51, "Gunn wasn't too happy about piloting a B-17 in the first place. The brass had bumped him out of P-51 fighters and transferred him to bomber duty. "It was like crawling out of a Corvette and getting into an 18-wheeler,"

 

Between april 10-30 was he in 91st BG, 324th sq. as a pilot ob B17, he flew 8 missions.

Transfered to 401st sq in may 1st and between 1 may to 15 june, 7 missions.

 

Promoted to Capt. 17 june and after that he disappers from the dailies. Why?, have no idea. Can´t find any info of his later service in ww2, Korea or Vietnam.

 

Still researching what planes he flew, so far "Betty Lous Buggy", Zootie Cutie", "The Wild Hare", "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby", "Mickey" (on D-Day as a pathfinder) and "General Ike".

Have a question here, is it possible to found out plane by last 3 numbers? The dailies say "AC 027". Some of them have I managed to found but not all.

 

Will be back with some of his missions.

[willysmb44]

The order of the rigid digit plaque is for someone taking out a life membership in the 91st BG association. They haven't given those plaques out in decades for new life members, though.

Nice grouping!

[kai robert]

The order of the rigid digit plaque is for someone taking out a life membership in the 91st BG association. They haven't given those plaques out in decades for new life members, though.

Nice grouping!

 

Thanks

 

Found this regarding "the order of the rigid digit"

 

http://www.91stbombgroup.com/Ragged_Irregular/RI_1977_Jan_V9_N4.pdf

[kai robert]

Is there a way to search on his officer number? I haven´t found a way. His number was O-683008.

 

He also got a very "odd" ASN when he enlisted, 00010013. Does anyone know why?, was he meant to be an officer from the start?

[doinworkinvans]

D-Day dawns: A 1st Air Division "Mickey" radar pathfinder (B-17G 42-97702) flown by 1LT Thomas R. Gunn of the 401st Bomb Sq leads the rest of the 91st BG against coastal targets in the area of Le Havre. Two 401st navigators were also aboard: 1LT Benjamin R. Yarborough & 2LT Gerald R. Moburg.

[kai robert]

Thanks for this picture, I have seen it before but in very poor quality so I wiil keep this one instead.

 

From what I have found out, Gunn flew 15 missions between April 10 and June 15 -44. I have no idea of what he did the rest of the war but he was promoted to captain in June 11, effective 17th.

 

Here are some pictures from a book with info about his 4th mission, April 19 -44. If it´s ok, I can show pictures and give info of these 15 missions.

[kai robert]

I have some more info on Thomas Gunn and also a question to all of you.

I saw that someone put up my pictures on Ancestry on "public member photos & scanned document" ATTACHED TO: Col. Thomas Herbert Gunn (1923-2012).
I have nothing against that, it´s ok to use my pictures but it looks like there are some more info and photos there that I don´t have, is it someone here with access to Ancestry US that can help me with that?
Also, he did get one thing wrong, he wrote that Gunns mission 19th april-44 was his 4th, that´s wrong, it was his 20th mission. His first mission was in dec-43 as co pilot to Lt. Klotz. (I have copies of his flight logs)

 

http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=ROOT_CATEGORY&rank=1&new=1&so=3&MSAV=1&msT=1&gss=seorecords&gsfn=Herbert&gsln=Gunn&msbdy&msbpn__ftp&msddy&msdpn__ftp&cpxt=0&catBucket=p&uidh=000&cp=0&geo_a=r&geo_s=au&geo_t=au&geo_v=2.0.0&o_iid=41020&o_lid=41020&o_sch=Web+Property