Second Lieutenant Arthur J. Gordon, born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1922, was the son of John Olejnek and Helen Bolonhalo of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. His parents were both born in Poland.
Arthur's father died 8 Jan 1923 at the age of 36 when Arthur was only 1 year old. His mother, left with three small children, remarried Michael Gordon. Gordon must have adopted all three Olejnek children as they all took his last name.In the 1930 census 8-year-old Arthur is living with his mother and step-father and siblings Mary 13, and Tony 12, in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. His step-father is a laborer in an auto factory. His mother does house work in a private home.In the 1940 census 18-year-old Arthur is living with his mother and step-father and half-siblings Jeannette 5, Ruth 3, and Esther 1, on Saunders Road in rural Adams township, Arenac County, Michigan. Adams is 50 miles north of Saginaw. His step-father is farming.Arthur enlisted in the Army Air Corps 18 Nov 1942 at Detroit. He'd had two years of college and was single without dependents. His occupation was listed under paymasters, payroll clerks, and time keepers. He was assigned to the 527the Bomb Squadron of the 379th Bomb Group.The 379th Bomb Group flew B-17s and was based at RAF Kimbolton, 8 miles west of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and 65 miles north of London.Lt. Gordon was co-pilot of B-17 42-97170 "Julie Mae" piloted by Lt. Robert M Kennewick. The NARA WWII casualty listings show Gordon, Arthur J., O-928051, 2 Lt, from Arenac County, Michigan as killed in action 9 Dec 1944. On only their second mission, to bomb the marshalling yards at Stuttgart, Germany, "Julie Mae" collided in midair with B-17 42-97833 "Silver Dollar" which was gaining altitude under Julie Mae. Julie Mae crashed at Romilly sur Seine, 74 miles east southeast of Paris. Only the top turret and tail gunner survived. Silver Dollar was able to land safely in France.
Arthur served as a Second Lieutenant & Co-Pilot on B-17 #42-97170, 527th Bomber Squadron, 379th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II.
He resided in Michigan prior to the war.
Arthur was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17 #42-97833 and crashed in Romilly Sur Seine, France during the war. He was awarded a Purple Heart.
Service # O-928051
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Airmen who perished on B-17 #42-97170:
Benson, Turell A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, Washington
Gordon, Arthur J ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, Michigan
Kennewick, Robert M ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, Washington
LaRose, Donald A ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, Washington
Reynolds, Arthur D ~ Sgt, Nose Gunner, Michigan
Weiss, Ralph ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, Maryland
Werley, Joseph W ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, Ohio
All crew members of B-17 #42-97833 survived the collision and they landed safely.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arthur's father died 8 Jan 1923 at the age of 36 when Arthur was only 1 year old. His mother, left with three small children, remarried Michael Gordon. Gordon must have adopted all three Olejnek children as they all took his last name.In the 1930 census 8-year-old Arthur is living with his mother and step-father and siblings Mary 13, and Tony 12, in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. His step-father is a laborer in an auto factory. His mother does house work in a private home.In the 1940 census 18-year-old Arthur is living with his mother and step-father and half-siblings Jeannette 5, Ruth 3, and Esther 1, on Saunders Road in rural Adams township, Arenac County, Michigan. Adams is 50 miles north of Saginaw. His step-father is farming.Arthur enlisted in the Army Air Corps 18 Nov 1942 at Detroit. He'd had two years of college and was single without dependents. His occupation was listed under paymasters, payroll clerks, and time keepers. He was assigned to the 527the Bomb Squadron of the 379th Bomb Group.The 379th Bomb Group flew B-17s and was based at RAF Kimbolton, 8 miles west of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and 65 miles north of London.Lt. Gordon was co-pilot of B-17 42-97170 "Julie Mae" piloted by Lt. Robert M Kennewick. The NARA WWII casualty listings show Gordon, Arthur J., O-928051, 2 Lt, from Arenac County, Michigan as killed in action 9 Dec 1944. On only their second mission, to bomb the marshalling yards at Stuttgart, Germany, "Julie Mae" collided in midair with B-17 42-97833 "Silver Dollar" which was gaining altitude under Julie Mae. Julie Mae crashed at Romilly sur Seine, 74 miles east southeast of Paris. Only the top turret and tail gunner survived. Silver Dollar was able to land safely in France.
Arthur served as a Second Lieutenant & Co-Pilot on B-17 #42-97170, 527th Bomber Squadron, 379th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II.
He resided in Michigan prior to the war.
Arthur was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17 #42-97833 and crashed in Romilly Sur Seine, France during the war. He was awarded a Purple Heart.
Service # O-928051
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-17 #42-97170:
Benson, Turell A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, Washington
Gordon, Arthur J ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, Michigan
Kennewick, Robert M ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, Washington
LaRose, Donald A ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, Washington
Reynolds, Arthur D ~ Sgt, Nose Gunner, Michigan
Weiss, Ralph ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, Maryland
Werley, Joseph W ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, Ohio
All crew members of B-17 #42-97833 survived the collision and they landed safely.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second Lieutenant Arthur J. Gordon, born in the Panama Canal Zone in 1922, was the son of John Olejnek and Helen Bolonhalo of Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. His parents were both born in Poland.
Arthur's father died 8 Jan 1923 at the age of 36 when Arthur was only 1 year old. His mother, left with three small children, remarried Michael Gordon. Gordon must have adopted all three Olejnek children as they all took his last name.In the 1930 census 8-year-old Arthur is living with his mother and step-father and siblings Mary 13, and Tony 12, in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. His step-father is a laborer in an auto factory. His mother does house work in a private home.In the 1940 census 18-year-old Arthur is living with his mother and step-father and half-siblings Jeannette 5, Ruth 3, and Esther 1, on Saunders Road in rural Adams township, Arenac County, Michigan. Adams is 50 miles north of Saginaw. His step-father is farming.Arthur enlisted in the Army Air Corps 18 Nov 1942 at Detroit. He'd had two years of college and was single without dependents. His occupation was listed under paymasters, payroll clerks, and time keepers. He was assigned to the 527the Bomb Squadron of the 379th Bomb Group.The 379th Bomb Group flew B-17s and was based at RAF Kimbolton, 8 miles west of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and 65 miles north of London.Lt. Gordon was co-pilot of B-17 42-97170 "Julie Mae" piloted by Lt. Robert M Kennewick. The NARA WWII casualty listings show Gordon, Arthur J., O-928051, 2 Lt, from Arenac County, Michigan as killed in action 9 Dec 1944. On only their second mission, to bomb the marshalling yards at Stuttgart, Germany, "Julie Mae" collided in midair with B-17 42-97833 "Silver Dollar" which was gaining altitude under Julie Mae. Julie Mae crashed at Romilly sur Seine, 74 miles east southeast of Paris. Only the top turret and tail gunner survived. Silver Dollar was able to land safely in France.
Arthur served as a Second Lieutenant & Co-Pilot on B-17 #42-97170, 527th Bomber Squadron, 379th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II.
He resided in Michigan prior to the war.
Arthur was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17 #42-97833 and crashed in Romilly Sur Seine, France during the war. He was awarded a Purple Heart.
Service # O-928051
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-17 #42-97170:
Benson, Turell A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, Washington
Gordon, Arthur J ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, Michigan
Kennewick, Robert M ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, Washington
LaRose, Donald A ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, Washington
Reynolds, Arthur D ~ Sgt, Nose Gunner, Michigan
Weiss, Ralph ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, Maryland
Werley, Joseph W ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, Ohio
All crew members of B-17 #42-97833 survived the collision and they landed safely.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arthur's father died 8 Jan 1923 at the age of 36 when Arthur was only 1 year old. His mother, left with three small children, remarried Michael Gordon. Gordon must have adopted all three Olejnek children as they all took his last name.In the 1930 census 8-year-old Arthur is living with his mother and step-father and siblings Mary 13, and Tony 12, in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan. His step-father is a laborer in an auto factory. His mother does house work in a private home.In the 1940 census 18-year-old Arthur is living with his mother and step-father and half-siblings Jeannette 5, Ruth 3, and Esther 1, on Saunders Road in rural Adams township, Arenac County, Michigan. Adams is 50 miles north of Saginaw. His step-father is farming.Arthur enlisted in the Army Air Corps 18 Nov 1942 at Detroit. He'd had two years of college and was single without dependents. His occupation was listed under paymasters, payroll clerks, and time keepers. He was assigned to the 527the Bomb Squadron of the 379th Bomb Group.The 379th Bomb Group flew B-17s and was based at RAF Kimbolton, 8 miles west of Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and 65 miles north of London.Lt. Gordon was co-pilot of B-17 42-97170 "Julie Mae" piloted by Lt. Robert M Kennewick. The NARA WWII casualty listings show Gordon, Arthur J., O-928051, 2 Lt, from Arenac County, Michigan as killed in action 9 Dec 1944. On only their second mission, to bomb the marshalling yards at Stuttgart, Germany, "Julie Mae" collided in midair with B-17 42-97833 "Silver Dollar" which was gaining altitude under Julie Mae. Julie Mae crashed at Romilly sur Seine, 74 miles east southeast of Paris. Only the top turret and tail gunner survived. Silver Dollar was able to land safely in France.
Arthur served as a Second Lieutenant & Co-Pilot on B-17 #42-97170, 527th Bomber Squadron, 379th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Corp during World War II.
He resided in Michigan prior to the war.
Arthur was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17 #42-97833 and crashed in Romilly Sur Seine, France during the war. He was awarded a Purple Heart.
Service # O-928051
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-17 #42-97170:
Benson, Turell A ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, Washington
Gordon, Arthur J ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, Michigan
Kennewick, Robert M ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, Washington
LaRose, Donald A ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, Washington
Reynolds, Arthur D ~ Sgt, Nose Gunner, Michigan
Weiss, Ralph ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, Maryland
Werley, Joseph W ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, Ohio
All crew members of B-17 #42-97833 survived the collision and they landed safely.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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