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| Lt. Dallas Book was a B-24 pilot who was shot down on his eighth mission. This is a photo of the crash site. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10174813/dallas-oliver-books https://www.b24.net/MM031844.htm |
Dallas Oliver Books never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on February 3, 1919 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. His parents Oliver and Georgia were also both born in Wisconsin. His father worked as a farm laborer and later as a fireman. Dallas had one younger brother. By 1940 Dallas was still living at home and had completed three years of college.
After graduating from the local teacher's college, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 15, 1940. He became an aviation cadet originally slated for service in the Philippines. He did coastal patrol work on the east coast after the war started and then served as an A-20 instructor. He also trained and was qualified to fly B-25s and B-17s. He eventually became a first lieutenant in 579th Bombardment Squadron, 392nd Bombardment Group which was equipped with B-24 Liberators.
Lt. Books arrived in England in December 1943, five months after the 392nd BG was deployed. On his first combat mission he was able to make a safe return landing despite the fact that his plane's nose wheel had been shot off.
Lt Books was killed in action on March 18, 1944, his eighth mission and, as it turned out, the most costly mission of the war for the 392nd BG. The target that day was Friedrichshafen. Lt. Books was flying a brand new plane his crew named Old Glory. The American bombers were attacked by 60 to 75 German fighters without any American fighter coverage. Losses included 14 aircraft with another 9 damaged out of the 28 sent up. After dropping its bombs Lt Books' plane was shot down 80 miles from the target. It crashed after the flight deck burst into flames. Only one of the crew survived and lived out the war as a POW.
His grave is at Lakeview Cemetery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Last year on this date I profiled B-17 mechanic Sam Eliah who was killed in a tragic accident. You can read about Sam here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
Love what your are doing with these biographies that you post. World War II had millions of participants and they deserve to be recognized. YOU have put a face to these heroes who ordinarily might be mentioned in mass as a line or two in a history book somewhere. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteLove what your are doing with these biographies that you post. World War II had millions of participants and they deserve to be recognized. YOU have put a face to these heroes who ordinarily might be mentioned in mass as a line or two in a history book somewhere. Keep up the great work.
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