Menu
  • Abous us
  • Search database
  • Resources
  • Donate
  • Faq

Crawford Fred A.

Name:
Fred A. Crawford
Rank:
Captain
Serial Number:
Unit:
1305th Army Air Force Base Unit
Date of Death:
1944-06-11
State:
Indiana
Cemetery:
Saint Ambrose Catholic Cemetery, Indiana
Plot:
Row:
Grave:
Decoration:
Comments:

Fred A. Crawford was born on December 30, 1921 in Crothersville, Jackson County, Indiana. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in October, 1941 and began training on May 17, 1942 at Santa Ana, California. He later received primary training at Rankin Aeronautical Academy, Tulare, California and took basic training at Merced, California in September 1942. He received his advanced training, his silver wings and his Second Lieutenant's commission at Luke Field Army Advanced Flying School, Phoenix, Ariz., graduating with the class of 43-B February 6, 1943. He was then given six weeks of extra training and was in the army ferry transport service between Chicago and Denver for three months before going overseas.

Lt. Crawford was killed in Burma June, 11, 1944 when the C-47 transport he was piloting went down while searching for the plane of a friend who was missing in action. His friend, who along with Lt. Crawford, had been selected as one of the six best pilots in that area, had been missing since May 25. They had been flying eight and 10 hours a day in India and China for a year before his death, flying supplies on the Burma route to the fighting Chinese soldiers and had been anticipating a leave that would have permitted his return to the United States. He is now buried in the Saint Ambrose Catholic Cemetery, Seymour, Jackson County, Indiana, USA.

Fred was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com