Name:
Earle A Whidden
Rank:
Technical Sergeant
Serial Number:
31095586
Unit:
718th Bomber Squadron, 449th Bomber Group
Date of Death:
1944-01-30
State:
Massachusetts,
Cemetery:
Florence American Cemetery, Impruneta (FI), I
Plot:
D
Row:
4
Grave:
43
Decoration:
Air Medal and the Purple Heart
Comments:
T/SGT Earle A Whidden was born in 1914 and was from Massachusetts. He was killed on January 30, 1944 while serving as a crew member (Engineer) on B-24 (42-7730) 718th Bomber Squadron, 449th Bomber Group, 47th Bomber Wing when his plane was shot down by an enemy fighter. B-24 (42-7730) was part of a large bombing raid on an airfield in Campoformido, Italy. On the return trip, the formation was attacked by enemy fighters and the plane was shot down with a complete loss of life. The plane crashed in Campolongo where the town placed a plaque in 2011 to remember the sacrifice of the crew.