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1943 USMC Officers bag


P-59A
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This was from an estate sale. Two brothers served in WW2. One USAAF and the other was a Marine. I got there late, but was able to find some stuff in the garage and this was one of the items. By the way he was not an Officer. The name is P. Thompson The stains on the left corner look like something I have seen before, under UV this bag lights up with bio stuff.

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There are seven "P. Thompson's" listed in the USMC casualty indexes. Any idea what unit the Marine was with, or where he served (was he P. Thompson)? That may help narrow it down if you are looking for more information on the owner.

Thank you for sharing! Emotional. 

 

All the best,

 

Patrick

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If this is the same Royal he was KIA with this crew.   738th Bomb Squadron Crews - *Known Deceased **KIA or MIA,-    P - John E Porter 42-64459(H) P  - John F Lyles*/Emmett A. McKinney/ CP - Frank G Wilkens Joseph M Greene* N - Robert L Anderson*/Royal W Thompson**/N - Clarence J Stevens* Arthur S Frantz/Henry A Conway B - Leslie G Mathews** B  - Elson H Brown*/Arthur R Hammer E  - Alfred A Peccia R - Bernard J Obuszewski NG - George S Vokac/Paul R Hallman BG  - Allan (NMI) Ruch/Arthur R Hammer WG - TG Hans G Sands/Doyt L Bartz*                                            

Service #O-704139

Unit 738th Bomber Squadron, 454th Bomber Group, Heavy

Rank First Lieutenant U.S. Army Air Forces

Entered Service From South Carolina

Date of Death August 17 1944

Buried

Plot

D

Row

12

Grave

26

Ardennes American Cemetery

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B-24H-10-CF 42-64459 (738th BS, 454th BG, 15th AF, based at San Giovanni Airfield, Foggia, Italy) lost Mar 19, 1944 from unknown cause over Austria while on mission to Steyr, Austria. Fate of crew unknown. MACR 3520. From Baugher's list

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ORIGINS

According to our records South Carolina was his home or enlistment state and Marlboro County included within the archival record.

SERVICE

He had enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. Served during World War II. Thompson had the rank of First Lieutenant. His military occupation or specialty was Navigator. Service number assignment was O-704139. Attached to 454th Bomber Group, Heavy, 738th Bomber Squadron.

CASUALTY

During his service in World War II, Army Air Forces First Lieutenant Thompson experienced a traumatic event which ultimately resulted in loss of life on August 17, 1944. Recorded circumstances attributed to: Killed in action.

DETAILS

1st Lt Royal W Thompson joined the Regular Army in Charlotte, North Carolina on 14 September 1942. He attended 2 years of college.

As they flew over the target, their ship blew up. The entire nose section from the leading edge of the wing forward was gone. Parts of it blew back through the formation. 1st Lt Thompson was in the nose when it was blown off the ship.

REMEMBERED

Royal W Thompson is buried or memorialized at Plot D Row 12 Grave 26, Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupre, Belgium. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location.

COMMENDATIONS

★ Air Medal

★ Purple Heart

★ World War II Victory Medal

★ American Campaign Medal

★ Army Presidential Unit Citation

★ Army Good Conduct Medal

★ European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign

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50 minutes ago, conn said:

did the airplane go down over enemy lines ?, how could the bag be retrieved if so ?

It's two brothers, one MIA/KIA USAAF and the second USMC.

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9 hours ago, ArchangelDM said:

That’s blood spatter on the front of the marine bag as stated 

I know, anyone who has seen blood splatter would know. Allot of people have never seen that and don't know the difference between blood and rust. That is why I only hinted at it. Good eye. A few others picked up on it.

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1 hour ago, P-59A said:

It's two brothers, one MIA/KIA USAAF and the second USMC.

Patrick was going through the possible people who this could be and wanted to know if I had anymore info. I assumed both brothers survived the war and the name tag was who's estate sale I went to. I was wrong, I had no idea Royal was MIA/KIA USAAF. 

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The 454th BG web site has this....mission #98 PLOESTI, Romania Astra Romana Oil Refinery 17 Aug 1944. 

THURSDAY, 17 AUGUST 1944
STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force):
   53 B-17s, with fighter cover, bomb Nish Airfield, Yugoslavia. 250 B-24s, escorted by P-51s, bomb 3 oil refineries and targets of opportunity in the Ploesti, Romania area.

 

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Royal's mission was over Astra, This was one of many targets over that area. The Ploiesti oil refinery raid were not a one off. They went back over and over hitting different areas. These are the more well known photo's.

4-4770407510-6usu6hrb9g0800880kg84gk4s-ejcuplo1l0oo0sk8c40s8osc4-th_-640x494.jpeg

1-b_24_plorshti_1943-ad7nuxee2hskcsw84ck4808cg-ejcuplo1l0oo0sk8c40s8osc4-th_-634x640.jpeg

11-b_24_ploeshti-aih8b9ruvx4coskkggows0k8c-ejcuplo1l0oo0sk8c40s8osc4-th_-498x640-498x640.jpeg

18-640x633.jpg

9-ploesti-8bzxrwsjfcgs0ks4s84woc4w8-ejcuplo1l0oo0sk8c40s8osc4-th_-640x434.jpeg

21-consolidated-b-24d-155-co-liberator-42-72772-and-flight-operation-tidal-wave-1-august-1943-copy-640x434.jpg

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51 minutes ago, jerry_k said:

This usmc stamp dont looks like post war surplus dealer made???

I consider that a valid question. I have no idea what size ink stamps were used then, but more to the point why would a surplus store have done that so many decades ago. It's not like anyone can see the stamp when the flap is closed. Its not like anyone was collecting things like this back then, surplus stores were filled with crates of this stuff. Why do that when there was no sales advantage to doing that? Then you have the stain over the ink stamp and then the stains themselves. Last this was an estate sale of a WW2 vet. It looks like his brother was MIA/KIA. Why would he buy a USMC officer pack from a surplus store, put his name in it then dirty it up and put so many stains all over it? Then he would have to have exposed it to the elements over time in order to fade everything out. Could he have done this? Sure, but is it realistic he did this? 

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