2LT Lorin David McCleary
1st Pilot, B-24H 42-52444,
487th BG, 838th BS, 8th AF, Lavenham, England
Killed in Action May 11, 1944, over Chateaudun, France
From 8th Air Force Written Records: "Lt. McCleary's plane which was flying No. 5 in the lead
Squadron left the formation sheering off to the right with the No. 3 engine on fire and with
flames streaming back into the wing. (The plane had received a direct flak hit). About 15 seconds
later it was below the formation and descending at an angle of approximately 45 degrees. It seemed
the pilot was still in control of the plane. The fire had spread over the command deck. About half
a minute later, there was apparently an internal explosion. The left wing (not the one on fire)
broke and hung about at the waist windows, and the nose broke off about the flight deck, hung for
a few seconds and then dropped about the same time as the tail. By this time, flames had spread
over the remaining part of the plane. Later saw the remains of the plane burning on the ground.
There was no sign of any survivors nor did I see any parachute, either on the ground or in the
air in the vicinity. Nine of the crew were killed and I was the only survivor. Harold E. Owens,
Flight Engineer"
I am the son of Lorin D. McCleary. My father was killed 4 1/2 months before I was born so I never
had the opportunity to know him. I wish that I had with all my soul. My father, his crew and the
other men of the 8th Air Force were brave men. Somehow, they found the courage to fly into combat
daily in early 1944, knowing that the odds of going untouched were 9 to 1 against them. From
January 1 to June 30, 1944, for each 1000 heavy bomber crewmen, 712 were classified as killed or
missing, and another 175 were wounded for a total of 887 casualties for each 1000 men. I dedicate
this to the Memory of the Brave Men of B 24H 42-52444 who died together on May 11, 1944: Lorin D.
McCleary, 2nd Lt., Pilot; Ernest E. McCoy, 2nd Lt., Co-Pilot; Joseph D. Perry, 2nd Lt., Bombardier;
Victor S. Kramer, 2nd Lt., Navigator; Eugene McKee, S/Sgt.; Arthur C. Frey, Sgt.; Paul K. Churm, Sgt.;
Clemente M. Barboza, Sgt.; Dale L. Knapp, Sgt. and to all the Brave Men of the 8th Air Force who
lost their lives in the skies over Europe. You are not forgotten.
-- Lorin D. McCleary III --
