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name
NEFF, Don Paulson - Date of
birth
8 March 1917 -
Age
26 - Place of
birth
Palmer, Putnam County, Ohio -
Hometown
Ohio
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-680269 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Co-Pilot -
Unit
412th Bombardment Squadron,
95th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
16 December 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, near Texel, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
George G. Neff (father)
Rachel E. (Poulson) Neff (mother)
Hugh H. Neff (brother)
Ernest E. Neff (brother)
Robert P. Neff (brother)
Paul Neff (brother)
Edith E. Neff (sister)
Carlton G. Neff (brother)
Majorie (Stabley) Neff (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30255 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Lonesome Polecat II
Destination: Bremen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the port area
MACR: 1558
More information
2nd Lt Don P. Neff was a salesman.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States at Bear Field, Fort Wayne, Indiana on 28 March 1942.
The aircraft was badly hit by both flak and fighters and fell out of formation with #3 engine feathered and #2 on fire, and a wounded crew. Three men had already bailed out over Oldenburg, Germany (Royal Jackson, Loren Dodson, and Junius Woollen). The others that had stayed in the airplane all thought they would land (and die) in the North Sea, but the remaining men (Doral Hupp, Charlie Schreiner, Bob McKeegan, and Frank Lee) miraculously bailed out over landed on Texel Island, 20 miles out in the North Sea. They hit hard as the plane was only 3000 ft above the ground. The LP II was brought down skillfully by the injured pilots (Fred Delbern & Don Neff) through the fog, ditching in the North Sea, just off the coast of Texel, but they did not get out of the plane, which lies about 1000 ft off the beach near De Koog village.
Seven crew members survived and were taken prisoner. Three were killed.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Laura Phillips, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com, www.basher82.nl, Census US / www.ancestry.com
Photo source: www.basher82.nl, Michael Darter