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Service Details |
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Personal Details
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Home State
Missouri | |
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Year of Birth
Not Specified |
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This Military Service Page was created/owned by
CMSgt Don Skinner-Deceased
to remember
Hughes, Henry P., Jr., SSgt.
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
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Last Address
32nd 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
Henry P. Hughes, Jr. was born in Missouri in 1921, according to his enlistment papers. He enlisted at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on August 21, 1941 as a private in the Army Air Forces. His enlistment form states he had completed 4 years of high school, and was employed as a semi-skilled painter in the construction trade.
No census data has been located on him. The first military appearance after enlistment is assignment to the 301st Bomb Group. He deployed to England, but when the 301st sent aircraft to Algeria, he was part of the Bruce crew that went.
He flew 6 credited missions with this crew. On November 28, 1942, the crew was part of a bombing raid on targets in the Bizerte, Tunisia area. En route to the target, the formation was attacked by enemy fighters, and the Bruce aircraft was shot down. It crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. There were no survivors, and no bodies were recovered.
The history of the 301st and German records record that Feldwebel Anton Hafner from 4/JG51 was given credit for the shoot-down.
SSgt Hughes is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunisia.
www.findagrave.com
www.301stbg.com/301st_bombardment_group.cfm
www.301stbg.com/missions_Macrs.cfm
NARA Enlistment Records
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Comments/Citation
SSgt Henry P. Hughes, Jr. was the assigned flight engineer and top turret gunner on B-17F #41-24363, named "Bad Penny," assigned to the 32nd Bomb Squadron.
Missing Air Crew Report 16197 was issued for this incident. Mission loading lists show the crew as:
Cpt John B. Bruce p
2 Lt Robert Earl c-p
2 Lt Charles Tanehill nav
2 Lt Charles Knop bomb
SSgt Henry P. Hughes, Jr. eng/tt gun
Sgt Leonard McGriff r/o
SSgt Alpheus Backus wg
Sgt Samuel Scott wg
SSgt Merle Gilger tail gun
Ranks and grades as of mission date.
SSgt Gilger's name is given as "Merle." All other sources give it as "Merril."
The only known photo of this crew is when King George VI met them in England. individuals are not identified.
The name "Bad Penny" comes from the old adage "A bad penny always comes back."
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