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416th Bombardment Group (L) Pfc. Byron Kidd Allen Photographer, 17071355 Killed In Action - Jul 5, 1944 4th Combat Camera Unit |
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416th Bombardment Group (L) Pfc. Byron Kidd Allen Photographer, 17071355 Killed In Action - Jul 5, 1944 4th Combat Camera Unit |
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Born: 12-Jun-1924, Portland, Plymouth County, Iowa
Entered Military Service: Date: 13-Nov-1942 At: Camp Dodge, Herrold, IA From: Plymouth County, Iowa NARA Enlistment Record: Enlisted Serial # 17071355 Buried: Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom, Plot A Row 4 Grave 4 On-line Memorials: National World War II Registry Overseas American Cemeteries American Battle Monuments Commission Memorial, Certificate Find-A-Grave |
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Pvt. Byron Kidd Allen (Died 1944) Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer PVT. BYRON ALLEN OF AKRON KILLED
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Allen of Akron received word Tuesday evening from the War Department that their son, Private First Class Byron K. Allen, an aerial gunner and a combat photographer, had been killed in England, Sunday, July 5, 1944. Private Allen was a graduate of the Akron public schools and entered the Army Air Forces November 13, 1942. He attended photography school at Lowry Field, Colo., and was then sent to Culver City, California, where he was assigned to the picture unit of the Army Air Forces. In November 1943, he went to England and served with a troop carrying glider unit. ~Transcriber Note: In 1944, July 5 was not on a Sunday. I found another documentation that states this soldier was killed on 7-06-1944 in England and the 6th was not a Sunday either. See below another news article about his death and the day he died.
AKRON CAMERA-MAN LOSES LIFE
Akron Register-Tribune: The entire community was grieved and saddened by the shocking news that came to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest L. Allen of this city, Tuesday afternoon of the death of their son, Pvt. Byron K. Allen, while serving as an aerial gunner and combat photographer, with the U. S. 9th Air force in the European theater. The sad news came in the shape of a telegram from the War Department at Washington D.C., directed to his mother, which read as follows: Washington D.C., July 18, 1944
(Last Monday The Globe-Post printed a story from the 9th air force command, telling of Pfc. Allen’s work as an aerial gunner and combat photographer.) Mr. and Mrs. Allen have the deep and profound sympathy of the community in the great sorrow that has come to them in the loss of their son. He was one of Akron’s finest young men. During his youth he was a regular attendant at the Baptist church and Sunday school and he completed the course in the Akron public school, graduating with the Class of 1942. Of clean, upright character, studious and sincere of purpose, he had made a success of all his efforts in the brief span of life allotted to him. He enlisted in the service of his country in an unusual, interesting and important branch, aerial photography, and he was making good at that when so suddenly called upon to make the supreme sacrifice for his country and in the great allied cause. His death will add another gold star to the list on Akron’s honor roll. A little later on this community will honor Pvt. Byron Allen at a memorial service to be held in the Baptist church.
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See also Pfc Byron Kidd Allen Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF)
(Courtesy of Geoff Gentilini, Golden Arrow Research, LLC)
Disclaimer: IDPF files document efforts to locate, identify, move, notify relatives and provide final resting for Soldier Dead,
often months or years after death, thus some pages may contain potentially disturbing or distressing information.
If you are sensitive, please consider whether to read this or not.
Click Here for information on WWII IDPFs.
Something different! This time, the cameramen get their picture taken. Beside the
Douglas A-20 "Pawhuska Princess", combat photographers in the above photo are, left
to right, Sgt. Robert A. Wolber, Utica, N.Y., S/Sgt. Lane B. Kemper, Omaha, Nebraska,
Pfc. Byron K. Allen, Adron [Akron], Iowa, S/Sgt. Arthur E. Mayhew, Bovina Center, N.Y., 2nd
Lt. George E. Lindsay, Lakeside, California.
(Photo from Fold3.com)
Private First Class Byron K. Allen, Photographer with the 4th Combat Camera Unit, was
riding as a crew member of Captain C.R. Jackson's aircraft on Mission 90
against the German Noball Headquarters at Merlemont, France to photograph
the mission.
Captain Jackson's aircraft was hit in the left engine by flak after
the bomb run and he was unable to feather the propeller, causing him
difficulty controlling the ship. Captain Jackson knew he had to
crash-land the aircraft so he gave the crew the warning that they
could bail out, which Private Allen did. However, PFC Allen's
parachute failed to open, and he was instantly killed upon striking the ground.
Private Allen is buried in Cambridge UK at the Cambridge American
Cemetery and Memorial. (plot A, row 4, grave 4).
Online Byron K. Allen Obituary
(PDF Version)
See also No_Report and Mission # 90
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Source information can be viewed at WWII Military Service Fatalities Sources
