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Howard P. Maupin
 HOWARD P. MAUPIN, born in Bradford, Ill. May 5, 1918, graduated from Bradford High School, joined the National Guard and from there, entered the Air Force, graduating from Majors Army Air Field, Greenville, Texas. In due time, he was sent over to England to fly escort for the army bombers. He was shot down over Belgium February 26, 1943. He spent 5 1/2 months with the Belgium Underground Forces.
Upon his return to the states, he was stationed at various bases. His last base was at Rapid City, South Dakota, being discharged from there in 1945, rank of 1st Lt.
July 26, 1945 Howard married Olga Vavra from Colome, South Dakota. To this union five children were born. Gerry, John, Greg, Jane and Judith and two granddaughters.
Howard was a Star-Route Mail contractor and a boilermaker for many years. He passed away February 27,1980 following surgery.
The following addition to Howard Maupin's story was contributed by Alexader Bonnet on 10/6/2006. . Unverified.
His P-47 (42-22535) from 356 FG 361 FS was planned for a ramrod to Lissendorf,Germany on the 20 March 1944. They took off from Martlesham Heath airfield and came into lots of clouds with a poor visibility after flying a while. The squadron couldn't fly above the clouds because of the thickness of the clouds. The Group Commander, colonel Einar Malmstrom gave the order to fly back to the UK. The P-47's were at that time at an altitude of +/- 30 000 feet. The colonel hoped that the formation ( 9 formation of 4 aircrafts in total) could find their way back through the clouds.
The young pilot F/O Howard P. Maupin couldn't stay with his leader because of the thickness of the clouds and got lost from him. Howard Maupin then decides to fly lower at an altitude of +/- 4000 feet and asked the radar operator for a homing course. He received a homing course but he didn't know where he was at that time! He and a few of his friends came then into the neighbourhood of the airfield of Saint-Trond (A-92) and were then hit by the FLAK.
He crashed in Neerwinden in a field. A man (this man is deceased but I know a friend of him) saw this happening and took him to a farm of the village of Neerwinden. The family Serron-Vanval hide him for the Germans (there's still a woman of this family alive and I could localize her. She is now staying in a resthouse in Racour not far away from Neerwinden. I'll try to visit her soon!!) They took him then to the castle of Opheylissem. From there to Gembloux and an evacuation camp in Porcheresse. And then back to UK...
I still don't know if he escaped through Switzerland, Spain, or France.
This all adventure dured +/- 5 = months!!
I couldn't find this whole story easily and by my own. I had lots of information from different sources and formed a good puzzle with my information.
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Pilot Name
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Biography Summary
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John Abbotts
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P-47 transition followed at Pocatello, Idaho and Greenville, Texas after which he was assigned to the 56th Fighter Group in England. When the news of his arrival reached Berlin, Hitler retired to his bunker with his cyanide capsule and revolver. Eva found the news equally depressing.
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Asa A. Adair
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He returned to the States in August of 1944 after participating in the invasion "D" Day. He flew P-63's, P-51's, F-80's, T-33's, F-84's, T-38's, P-47's in numerous assignments during the following twenty years in in, Japan, U.S.A. and Europe before retiring after twenty-six years of Active Duty.
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Edward B. Addison
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The 507th Fighter Group, equipped with P-47N's, won the Presidential Unit Citation for destroying 32 Japanese aircraft in the air on one mission to Seoul, Korea. The average flying time for raids to Korea and Japan would be 7 to 9 hours flying time. In a total of 31 months, the 507th not only provided top cover for B-29's, but also
dive-bombed, napalm-bombed and flew low-level on strafing missions.
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Levon B. Agha-Zarian
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It is rumored that he, took his primary training on a flying rug. He flew Spits, briefly, in England, but as the, war moved to the East, he was sent to India as a Sgt. Pilot and first saw action from Ceylon, flying the Curtiss P.36, the Brewster Buffalo, and the Hurricane. At this point he might have opted for the rug! This was at the time of the fall of Singapore and the sinking of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse.
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George N. Ahles
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Posted to A-20 light bomber squadron Barksdale Field, Louisiana. . Group moved to Hunter Air Base Savannah, Georgia. Qualified for Pilot training November 1940. Entered Aviation Cadets January 1942. Presented wings November 1942 class of 42-J. Married Mary Louise while in Advanced Pilot Training at Craig AFB, Selma, Alabama, September 1942.
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Roy J. Aldritt
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Shortly after the group moved to France he ran into some unseen flak and was forced to make a nylon descent behind the lines; some evasion and a lot of luck had him back with his unit
in 24 hours.
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Eugene J. Amaral
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After graduation from Stonington High School he enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in December 1942 and was called to active duty in March, 1943. He received his wings and commission at Spence Field, Georgia as a member of the Class of 43-C.
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Talmadge L. Ambrose
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Flew 84 missions thru VE Day, was downed by 22mm ground fire over Siefried Line. He destroyed 11 enemy aircraft, 9 known confirmed in air and on
ground, including 4 FW 190-D's in one afternoon over Hanover, Germany, April 8, 1945. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross,
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, 17 man, Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct Medal, Pacific Theatre and European Theatre Meda1s with 5 Battle
Stars and Unit Citation Medal.
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John C. Anderson
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After P-47 transition he was assigned to the 406th Fighter Group, 512th Fighter Squadron. (E.T
.0.) He flew 56 missions through January, 1945 destroying supply routes, bridges, and railroads; he also flew close support missions with the ground forces, with attacks on tanks, artillery and enemy positions.
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William Anderson
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It was not always flak,two ME-109's beat the hell out of me one day. The central controller called me and said "Basher-Red Leader do you have contact Bandits," I replied, "I sure do, I'll bring them over the field in 3 minutes, they're chasing me home." Got all the usual medals including two Belgium and two French but one I'm most proud of is the Silver Star -it is the greatest.
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