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B-26 Pilot's Group, 66 Missions


Belleauwood
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I am trying to correctly assemble this medal grouping for the daughter of this veteran to help her memorialize her father. She was referred to be by the frame shop that did all my work for the Belleauwood museum a few years ago. Those that my remember me, know that WW2 was not my field of expertise.

 

This is a hell of a great group. Has all his citation letters, combat images with notations, wings, badges, letters home, on and on. 12th AF SSI is KILLER!......Squadron patch glued to scrapbook is perfect.

 

So...... reaching out to you guys for help.

 

Should he have a good conduct?

Would the 12th Air Force have the Croix de Guerre as seen on the partial ribbon bar?

What is the yellow campaign ribbon bar? Memory not helping me here!

 

What order is correct from right to left...top to bottom on the ribbon bars?

 

Now to get this done, I will need these medals to complete this for her. Can someone help? I will purchase medal/bars needed. I am not charging her, as seeing/reading her fathers archive is enough.

 

I have included images to show the medals and bars so you folks what I'm working with and some of the "other stuff"

 

Many Thanks, Dennis Jackson

 

 

 

 

 

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Should he have a good conduct? no only enlisted could receive this award

Would the 12th Air Force have the Croix de Guerre as seen on the partial ribbon bar? its more of a personnel award not to the whole of the 12th although I do have a 12th AF fighter pilot who also had the Croix de Guerre.

What is the yellow campaign ribbon bar? American defence medal awarded to members of the armed forces who were already serving between September 8, 1939 and December 7, 1941

What order is correct from right to left...top to bottom on the ribbon bars? order would be top row: DFC, AM, bottom row: American defence, ETO, Croiz de Guerre

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What 46IR said is correct.

 

The only curve ball here is the 7th NY Regiment DI's, was he enlisted in the guard and transferred over to the AC? With the 1930s dog-tag I think that he could have even been Regular Army for a while prior to AC, so he could indeed merit a Good Conduct - though pre-war standards were a bit strict.

 

And Dennis, thanks for sharing the grouping. That combat photo is phenomenal. The stuff these low-flying 12th AF guys saw!

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"The only curve ball here is the 7th NY Regiment DI's, was he enlisted in the guard and transferred over to the AC? With the 1930s dog-tag I think that he could have even been Regular Army for a while prior to AC, so he could indeed merit a Good Conduct - though pre-war standards were a bit strict.

 

 

good spot with the 30s dog tag totally missed that. would make sense as the 12th was stood up in 42

 

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Robert G. Borden was born in NJ Mar 19, 1918. He enlisted in the NYNG Nov 7, 1940 and was assigned to Btry B, 207th CA. He was living in Montclair, .NY at the time. His unit was federalized Feb 10, 1941. He was 5'9", weighed 150 lbs and had the equivalent of 2 years of college. His NYNG service record shows that he was separated on Jul 27, 1943, perhaps to accept a commission. Evidently he was Jewish. The National Jewish Welfare Board maintained a card on him which shows that he was awarded the DFC, AM w/12 OLCs, and the French CdG although this latter is very likely the unit CdG the441st/320th was awarded. It was also received two DUCs. The squadron patch is 441st BS, 320BG. These were typically made of leather and purchased on Capri while on R&R. He was discharged Oct 19, 1945. He lived in FL in the 1980s and died in N. Branford, GA on Mar 30, 2005. His headstone shows his rank as captain. He would have been entitled to the GCM and ADSM, also the ACM and VM. The presence of the 7th NY/107th Inf DUI is a mystery, perhaps a relative or friend had been a member. A note on his awards. DFCs were awarded almost exclusively to pilots in the 12AF. The high number of AM OLCs is not uncommon in the 12AF. AMs were awarded for individual achievements, usually excellent mission bomb strike results, unlike the 8AF where AMs which were awarded based number of missions flown. The 320th has a published unit history but it is not indexed and contains no list of personnel assigned. The crew photograph was almost certainly taken Stateside, the B-26 is marked as a trainer. The photo of the B-26 with the starboard wing on fire is well known. The 320th unit history states that the photo was taken over Toulon and could have been the ship flown by Lt. Hipple of the 441st lost on Aug 13, 1944, part of the tactical bombing campaign in support of the Operation DRAGOON, the invasion of southern France.

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