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Personal info

Full name
NEFF, Don Paulson
Date of birth
8 March 1917
Age
26
Place of birth
Palmer, Putnam County, Ohio
Hometown
Ohio

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