GIKyle Posted July 17, 2016 Share #1 Posted July 17, 2016 On 10 December 1944 B-26C, #42-107844, returning from an operational mission crashed at the East-West runway at Advance Landing Ground A-71, Chastres, France, and immediately burst into flames. Two crash crews from the 2047th Engineer Firefighting Platoon arrived at the scene of the crash at 1134 hours. The crash crew with the aid of the Medical Corps had rescued two of the wounded crew members. In an attempt to rescue the third member the bomb load which the plane was carrying detonated and resulted in the deaths of at least fifteen soldiers from the 2047th in addition to another eighteen from the bomb squadron. The members of the 2047th killed while trying to save others all received posthumous Soldiers' Medals for their efforts. Below is one of those men. I would like to invite Tom Lane to post the posthumous Purple Heart to a member of the bomb squadron in his possession. Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share #2 Posted July 17, 2016 Backs of the medals. Apologies for the blurriness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarbridge Posted July 17, 2016 Share #3 Posted July 17, 2016 Thanks for posting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay V Posted July 17, 2016 Share #4 Posted July 17, 2016 Thanks as well for Sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom2001 Posted July 17, 2016 Share #5 Posted July 17, 2016 Very very cool pair, Kyle. Here's the pic you requested. Major Robert E. Murphy was the 559th's Squadron Commander, and was also killed attempting to save crew members from the crashed aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottplen Posted July 18, 2016 Share #6 Posted July 18, 2016 Very nice pair ! RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share #7 Posted July 18, 2016 Thanks all, and thanks Tom for posting your guy as well. Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katieony Posted July 18, 2016 Share #8 Posted July 18, 2016 Thank you for sharing their story! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squad leader Posted July 18, 2016 Share #9 Posted July 18, 2016 Thanks for sharing. Just a correction the airfield was located in Clastres (department of Aisne) not Chastres which is mispelled. Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share #10 Posted July 18, 2016 Thanks Dan, for the correction. So noted! Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted July 18, 2016 Share #11 Posted July 18, 2016 Thanks for posting Kyle. That is a SUPER rare officially engraved Soldier Medal. I don't think most people realize how truly rare this medal is. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted July 18, 2016 Author Share #12 Posted July 18, 2016 Thanks a lot Kurt! As I recall you mentioned the "C.E." designation for Combat Engineers was somewhat unique? I appreciate your help when I was getting this. Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KASTAUFFER Posted July 19, 2016 Share #13 Posted July 19, 2016 It is unique. I have seen them with INF, FA, and AC. This is the only I have seen with CE which I believe is Corps of Engineers. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted July 19, 2016 Author Share #14 Posted July 19, 2016 Makes more sense than mine since Corps of Engineers is an actual branch! Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usaeff Posted November 11, 2016 Share #15 Posted November 11, 2016 Thanks for posting the pictures. As a retired army firefighter and author of Army Fire Fighting: A Histrorical Perspective, it is great to see the actual medals awarded to these firefighters. Allen Ward Army Firefighting Historian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decwriter Posted November 11, 2016 Share #16 Posted November 11, 2016 Kyle, Thanks for sharing the rare SM/PH pair! Thanks to Tom for his photo as well to tie it together. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMariner Posted November 11, 2016 Share #17 Posted November 11, 2016 Wow what a grouping, can't believe i missed this when it was posted! I have been looking for a group like this for years! Thanks for posting ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted July 23, 2019 Author Share #18 Posted July 23, 2019 Bringing this exceptional pair back up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobgee Posted July 24, 2019 Share #19 Posted July 24, 2019 Great & very sad story & group. Thanks for posting, Kyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermanus Posted July 24, 2019 Share #20 Posted July 24, 2019 Very nice medals Kyle. And what a sad story. Regards Herman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Posted September 5, 2019 Share #21 Posted September 5, 2019 On 10 December 1944 B-26C, #42-107844, returning from an operational mission crashed at the East-West runway at Advance Landing Ground A-71, Chastres, France, and immediately burst into flames. Two crash crews from the 2047th Engineer Firefighting Platoon arrived at the scene of the crash at 1134 hours. The crash crew with the aid of the Medical Corps had rescued two of the wounded crew members. In an attempt to rescue the third member the bomb load which the plane was carrying detonated and resulted in the deaths of at least fifteen soldiers from the 2047th in addition to another eighteen from the bomb squadron. The members of the 2047th killed while trying to save others all received posthumous Soldiers' Medals for their efforts. Below is one of those men. I would like to invite Tom Lane to post the posthumous Purple Heart to a member of the bomb squadron in his possession. Kyle FullSizeRender_4.jpg FullSizeRender_3.jpg Hello, my name is Dean Joseph Sandstrom, I am a veteran of the US Army. Joseph H. Sandstrom was my uncle. He was my father's older brother. Thanks for posting these medals. I am glad that he will be remembered and honored on this site. Joseph served as a Private First Class, 2047th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon, Aviation, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He resided in Middlesex County, Connecticut prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on April 27, 1943 in Hartford, Connecticut. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Driver and also as Single, without dependents.He was assigned to the Advance Landing Ground A-71 in Clastres, France. B-26C #42-107844, while returning from an operational mission, crash landed on the East-West runway at Clastres and immediately caught on fire at 1134 hours. Members of the 2047th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon, Military Police, and medical personnel quickly responded to the crashed B-26 in an effort to aid & rescue the crew and to contain the fire as best as they could.Two members of the crew were quickly removed from the B-26 by medical personnel and put in an ambulance as others continued to try and control the fire.When an attempt was made to rescue a third crew member the bomb load on the B-26 exploded. This explosion killed the entire crew of the B-26 and many of the ground crew attempting to save them.Joseph was killed in action in this explosion at Clastres, France during the war. He was awarded the Soldier's Medal and the Purple Heart. Joseph was the son of Mrs. Thomas Sandstrom who resided in Middletown, Connecticut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP25 Posted September 5, 2019 Share #22 Posted September 5, 2019 WOW, what an incredible group! What an incredible story! Thank you for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share #23 Posted September 6, 2019 Dean, thanks for posting. I worked with forum member Dave to have Sandstroms story added to his upcoming book on posthumous Purple Hearts- having seen the proofs of the book I can confidently say that your Uncles memory will continue to live on. Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfall Posted September 6, 2019 Share #24 Posted September 6, 2019 Do you by any chance have the names of the others who were awarded the Soldiers Medal for this action? And, by any chance do you have the General Orders (number and date) awarding the medals? I would like to add their names to my Soldiers Medal database (which now has over 10,000 names). Thanks! Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share #25 Posted September 6, 2019 Nick, The research I have does not list who was awarded the Soldiers' Medal. Sorry I cannot help. Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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