WW2 KIA engraved Air Meal with 12x Oak Leaf Clusters

[McT_Aviation]

Stunned to have acquired this rare medal from a friend who clears estates. Almost lost it when another customer provided a valuation that I though was too high. Took weeks of pestering to come down  to a price I believed was fair.  What makesthis medal rare is the extremely unfortunate luck this Pilot had to fly 65x combat missions and be killed on his last mission. 

 

Carson Wilkes Carrington

Rank: First Lieutenant 

Serial Number: O-747740

Assignment: 344th Bomber Group (Medium) 494th Bomber Squadron

Specialty: Pilot/Aircraft Commander

Origin: Fulton, MO

Date of Death: 23 September 1944

 

1LT Carson Carrington was born 24 October 1920 and attended University of Missouri majoring in Engineering. In November 1940, Carson enlisted into the Missouri National Guard.  At some point,  he switched over to the Army Air Forces as an Aviation Cadet with Class 43-F. Attending Basic Flight School at Marana and Advanced Flight School at Yuma. He was chosen to fly the B-26 Marauder.

 

The  Marauder was a medium bomber that was meant to be fast and attack tactical targets at lower altitudes compared to heavies such as B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator. The Marauder had an infamous reputation as the  "Widowmaker" due to early design flaws and lack of experinced pilots. The problem became so bad that GEN Hap Arnold had COL Doolittle conduct an investigation and prove to these pilots that the Marauder could be flown. Doolittle gathered the doubters and flew a Marauder by himself with one engine feathered. His findings were that a lack of experince and confidence lead to exacerbated claims. Pilots weren't paying close attention and that they needed to land with nose up due to the landing gear and at faster speeds of 120mph instead of 100mph. Doolittle did suggest extending the stubby wings to improve control of the aircraft. 

 

His first missions were  D-Day to bomb coastal batteries at Cherbourg and Amiens.  They were the first bombers over the beach on D-Day. Their planes had iconic "Invasion stripes" to identify them as friendlies  since they flew low and to not be mistakes as Axis planes by Allied AA gunners. 

 

Skipping forward, on 23 September 1944, the Allies were crossing into Germany with Airborne forces invading through Holland. 9th AF bomber crews were contracted to fly 65x missions before they could return to the United States. This was in contrast to 8th AF which allowed bomber crews to return after 35x missions. Main points were tactical bombing had shorter durations over enemy territory than strategic. Though if that truly justified flying twice as many missions is up for debate. His last mission was over Venlo Marshalling Yards which was hotly contested. 3 of 36 Marauders were lost with 16 being damaged. Carson was flying  B-26 Marauder "Hell's Kitchen" (42-107679 K9-M) when they took a direct hit over the objective separating the left wing and causing the plane to flip on its back as it spun down. They crashed at Rumeln-Kaldenhausen near Duisburg, next to the Aubruchs canal. There were no survivors. Their bodies could not be individually identified and they were buried in Germany and later transferred to Arlington National Cemetery in a mass grave. 

 

His Flight Engineer (S/SGT Wayne Martin) named his daughter after Carson in honor of their friendship. Her name is Mary Carson Martin!

 

 

 

 

[McT_Aviation]

His Air Medal Award Card