Memorial

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T/Sgt Oscar F. McWhirter enlisted at Camp Forrest, Tennessee on 28 May 1942.

His father died a couple of years after his birth of malaria. His mother remarried in 1928. He lived on a farm and probably never left the place until his enlistment.

An account of the crash can be found in the MACR: 'Two B-24s believed to be H Bar and E Bar (Lucky tiger) of the 389th BG reported down at 51° N 06° 20' E at 1220 hours with three to seven chutes reported. E Bar and H Bar were seen attacked by enemy aircraft and compelled to fall back of formation. After straggling, ship believed to be E Bar again attacked by seven FW 190s and seen to explode. Ship believed to be H Bar last seen far to rear in undercast. At 1230 hours, 51° 30' North - 05° 10' E, one B-24 straggling was attacked by enemy fighters. Three chutes seen and then ship reported to explode. The 93rd BG reported at 1220 hours, shortly after target withdrawal, H Bar was attacked by German fighters and fell behind the formation. Visual contact was lost due to undercast and the lagging of the aircraft. The 93rd BG also reported E Bar was believed to have been hit by a rocket and was observed falling with both rudders off and its bomb bay on fire. It then exploded and crashed at approximately 51° 00' N - 06° 20' E, about 10 miles NE of Aachen, Germany. Crews reported seeing two to three, and up to seven chutes were reported.'

T/Sgt McWhirter was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross for his participation in the raid on the Ploesti Rumania Oil Refineries on 1 August 1943.