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Personal info

Full name
WHALEN, Edmund Drew
Date of birth
12 May 1920
Age
23
Place of birth
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York
Hometown
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York

Military service

Service number
O-886143
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
334th Fighter Squadron,
4th Fighter Group
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
6 March 1944
Place of death
Nienburg area, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
E 6 21

Immediate family

Members
Herbert F. Whalen (father)
Rosemary Whalen (mother)
Herbert F. Whalen Jr. (brother)
Rosemary Whalen (sister)
Robert Whalen (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
43-6899
Data
Type: P-51B
Mission: Bomber escort
MACR: 2839

More information

Lt Edmund Whalen saw service with the Canadian and British air forces before he was transferred to the United States Air Force in October 1943. He enlisted in the R.C.A.F. in California on 9 March 1942, and after initial flight training at Lancaster, California, took advanced training and was made a flight officer at Mockton, N.B., in October 1942. He went to England immediately afterward and was transferred to the R.A.F. His decorations include the British R.A.F. Star and R.A.F. Air Medal, the US Distinguished Flying Cross, and the U.S. Air Medal. His older brother, Herbert F. Jr, 25, enlisted in the United States Army. He, too, was a lieutenant in the Air Force

2nd Lt Howard N. Moulton Jr. states in the Missing Aircrew Report:
"Lt Whalen dove on a ME-110 about twenty miles south of Berlin. He started his attack at 15,000 feet and closed to a close range line astern. He fired a short burst at the enemy aircraft, which exploded at once. I saw many pieces flying back. I saw the ME-110 crash, but did not see Lt Whalen pull up, nor did I see where he could have crashed. After pulling up, I did see a chute coming down in the near vicinity.

"During this time, I was flying his no. 2 back about 500 yards. My pull-out was about 500 feet. The action took place somewhat below me."

Source of information: Michel Beckers, Terry Hirsch, National WWII Memorial, Footnote, www.newspapers.com - The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Arie-Jan van Hees, www.ancestry.com - Brooklyn Prep School 1939, School Yearbook