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Akin Arthur Claude, Jr.

Name:
Arthur Claude, Jr. Akin
Rank:
Second Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-710395
Unit:
753rd Bomber Squadron, 458th Bomber Group (Heavy)
Date of Death:
1944-11-24
State:
Virginia
Cemetery:
Barrancas National Cemetery, Florida
Plot:
13
Row:
0
Grave:
17
Decoration:
Comments:

Arthur Claude Akin, Jr. was born on March 21, 1922 in Virginia. He was the son of Arthur C. and Ocie Lee Akin. He served in the 753rd Bomber Squadron, 458th Bomber Group (Heavy) as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on the B-24 42-95133 "Lady Jane", Dooley crew, during World War II.

On November 24, 1944, due to bad weather, the group was stood down from operations, but a practice mission was scheduled. Akin's crew was not participating on this mission, so he volunteered to fly as co-pilot on the crew of 2Lt Ralph J. Dooley. Akin and Dooley had known each other during training in the States, and both of their crew's had been assigned to the 753rd on the same day. When the flying was complete, most of the crews had difficulty trying to get their ships down safely. Dooley and crew, flying B-24H-25-FO 42-95133 J4 K named Lady Jane, may have had additional difficulties, as several witnesses on the ground who saw their aircraft prior to the crash noted that one of their, "engines had stopped, and the propeller was stationary...." The right wing of their aircraft struck the St Philip's Church tower, and crashed further on in a railroad spur off of Heigham Street. All nine men aboard were killed.

2LT Akin is now buried in the Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com