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Service Details |
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Personal Details
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Home State
Illinois | |
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Year of Birth
1917 |
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This Military Service Page was created/owned by
CMSgt Don Skinner-Deceased
to remember
Conlon, Frank Joseph, Jr., TSgt.
If you knew or served with this Airman and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
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Casualty Info
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Home Town
Forrest Park |
Last Address
353rd Bomb Squadron
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Casualty Date
Nov 28, 1942 |
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Cause
Hostile, Died while Missing |
Reason
Air Loss, Crash - Sea |
Location
Mediterranean Sea |
Conflict
World War II |
Location of Interment
North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial - Carthage, Tunisia |
Wall/Plot Coordinates
Walls of the Missing |
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Last Known Activity
Francis (Frank) Joseph Conlon, Jr. was born on March 10, 1917 to Francis Joseph, Sr. and Delia Lyons Conlon, in Forrest Park, Illinois. While the US Census 1920 has the family in Forrest Park, the US Censuses 1930 and 1940 show they lived in Provisio.
Conlon enlisted in the US Army Air Forces on June 19, 1941 in Washington, D.C. His enlistment papers state he enlisted as a private, had completed 4 years of high school and was employed as a semi-skilled driver of busses and taxis.
He was selected for flight duty and trained as a radio operator. He was then assigned to the combat crew headed by Lt Maher. On November 28, 1942, the crew participated in the bombing of targets in the Bizerte, Tunisia area. While en route to the target, the formation was attacked by enemy fighters, and Conlon's aircraft was shot down. It crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. All the crew was killed, and no bodies recovered.
Conlon is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing in the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunis, Tunisia. In addition, there is a memory gravestone for Conlon in Arlington National Cemetery.
www.findagrave.com
www.ancestry.com
www.abmc.gov
www.301stbg.com/301st_bombardment_group.cfm
www.301stbg.com/mission_Macrs.cfm
US Census 1920
US Census 1930
US Census 1940
NARA Enlistment Records
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Comments/Citation
TSgt Francis J. Conlon was the assigned radio operator on B-17F # 41-24374, no name, assigned to the 353rd Bomb Squadron.
Missing Air Crew Report 16038 covers this loss. Mission loading lists state the crew was:
1 Lt Robert E. Maher p
2 Lt Roy C. Tobey c-p
2 Lt Lee H. Adkins nav
2 Lt Fred J. Graf bomb
MSgt Edward C. Shackleton eng/tt gun
TSgt Frank J. Conlon r/o
Sgt Harry R. Alger wg
Sgt Max D. McNeil wg
Sgt Charles R. Goodwin tail gun
Ranks and grades as of mission date.
Shackleton's middle initial is variously given as "C," "O," or "W."
There is no known crew photo.
NOTEL According to Chris Novak (April 14, 2016) Shackleton's middle initial is "O".
Service photo source:
www.301stbg.com_Macrs.cfm
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