Last Known Activity
Stuart R. Allison was born in Monmouth, Illinois on September 16, 1925 to Frederick A. and Dorothy Rankin Allison. Both US Censuses 1930 and 1940 lists the family as residing in Monmouth. Allison is shown as a Junior in the Monmouth High School Yearbook, 1942.
No enlistment records have been located for Allison, but the Headstone Application states he joined the military on July 26, 1943. He was trained as an aerial gunner, and assigned to crew training. The crew deployed to England in July, 1944, and flew 5 missions.
On August 11, 1944, the crew was selected to participate i bombing the airfield located at Villacoubly, France. Over the coast line, the aircraft was hit by several flak shells, resulting in severe damage, as well as wounding the pilot. co-pilot, and engineer.
The pilot quickly gave the bail out signal, and the crew jumped. The pilot stayed on station to guide the wreckage from populated areas. The German gunners fired on the men in their parachutes, killing two. Their records state that four dead were recovered, two from the wreckage and two from being shot while in parachutes.
The townspeople of Calmart, France, took up a collection, and buried the dead in the Calmart Cemetery. They later erected a memorial plaque honoring the 4 airmen who died here that day. After the war, some of the bodies were retrieved and moved. Sgt Allison now lies in the Monmouth Cemetery in Monmouth, Illinois.
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Headstone Application for Marker, dated 1948
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Comments/Citation
Sgt Stuart R. Allison was acting as tail gunner on B-17G # 42-6087, named "Royal Flush," assigned to the 418th Bomb Squadron.
Missing Air Crew Report 8074 was issued for this loss. Crew rosters and personnel files show the crew consisted of:
2 Lt Alf Aske, Jr. p
2 Lt Charles B. Barber c-p
2 Lt Gordon E. Davis nav
2 Lt James D. Magargee bomb
Sgt Robert F. Williams eng/tt gun
Sgt Charles M. Nekvasil ro
Sgt Norman C. Fernaays btg
Sgt Armando Consorto wg
Sgt Stuart R. Allison tail gun
Ranks and grades as of mission date.
Lts Aske and Davis were killed in the crash; Sgts Williams and Allison were killed in their parachutes during descent.
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