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This Remembrance Profile was originally created by CMSgt Don Skinner - Deceased
Casualty Info
Last Address 353rd Bomb Squadron Ceginola, Italy
Casualty Date Jan 11, 1944
Cause MIA-Finding of Death
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Land
Location Greece
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (VA) - St. Louis, Missouri
Donald E. Brundage was born in New York in 1922. His parents were Herbert and Helen M. Brundage. The US Census 1930 has the family in Wellsville, while the US census 1940 shows them living in Bolivar.
Brundage enlisted in Buffalo, New York on September 30, 1942. His enlistment papers show he had completed 4 years of high school,and was working as a mechanic or repairman.
He was selected for flight duty, and trained as both a flight engineer and as an aerial gunner. He was then assigned to North Africa where he flew combat missions . On January 11, 1944, he was assigned to fly a mission against the harbor facilities located at Piraeus, Greece.
En route to the target, weather conditions worsened. The formation found itself encountering 10/10 skies, excessive winds, and extreme icing conditions. Two of the lead element aircraft decided to abort. But, in their haste, they flew across the path of the on-coming second element.
At least 4 aircraft collided, and crashed in the target area. Evidently, all the dead were buried locally and retrieved after the war. SSgt Brundage is buried in a mass common grave with 7 of his crew mates and many other airmen killed that day. The grave is in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in Missouri, It is at Section 79, Site 434-436.
NOTE: No record of SSgt Brundage's decorations and service medals has been located; however, he is credited with those known to have been awarded to crew members.
www.findagrave.com
www.ancestry.com
www.301stbg.com/Missions_Macrs.cfm
US Census 1930
US Census 1940
NARA Enlistment Records
Comments/Citation:
SSgt Donald E. Brundage was acting as flight engineer and top turret gunner on B-17G # 42-31396, not named, assigned to the 353rd Bomb Squadron.
Missing Air Crew Report 1833 was issued for this loss. There is no loading list, but a crew roster can be fashioned from the MACR. The crew was:
1 Lt Joseph S. Dunbar p
Cpt Homer G. Mills, Jr. c-p
2 Lt Reed W. Dean nav
1 Lt Charles R. Glenn bomb
SSgt Don E. Brundage eng.tt gun
TSgt Hilary F. Helsabeck r/o
SSgt Adolph G. Bauman btg
SSgt Ward V. Phillips wg
SSgt Loren C. Bowns tail gun
