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name
SHAFFER, Donald Eugene - Date of
birth
20 February 1922 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
California -
Hometown
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-678477 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Bombardier -
Unit
66th Bombardment Squadron,
44th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
22 December 1943 - Place of
death
Oostvaardersplassen, Flevoland, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten -
Walls of the Missing
* This soldier has been accounted for. A rosette has been placed next to his name.
Immediate family
-
Members
Clyde W. Shaffer (father)
Mary R. (Felker) Shaffer (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-7638 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname Big Banner
Destination: Münster, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yards
MACR: 1714
More information
The airplane was hit by flak over the target. Just after bombing the target, the airplane began to lag in the rear of the formation. It also began to lose altitude. When the pilot realized that he would never be able to reach England, he gave the bail-out order. When four airmen jumped, it was observed that the B-24 was over water, so it was decided to ditch. The landing failed, and five men drowned.The plane crash-landed in the IJsselmeer at a location that is now Flevoland. At the time of the crash, this island didn't exist and was still open water.
Only one of the ten crew members survived the crash.
In 1975, while draining this part of the IJsselmeer, the wreckage was found, still containing the remains of five crew members: F/O Kent F. Miller, 2nd Lt Frank A. Passavant, T/Sgt James C. Childers, S/Sgt Stanley Pilch Jr. and 1st Lt Donald E. Shaffer.
The remains of four other crew members were washed ashore or picked up from open sea at various times during the six months following the crash.
Lt Shaffer is buried at the Los Angeles National Cemetery.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
Photo source: www.teunispats.nl, Peter Schouteten, www.findagrave.com - Richard Harrison, Class Book for Advanced Pilot Class 41-F at Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama