Orville Donald "Don" Thatcher was born on March 22, 1913, in Luther, Iowa. He was the son of Orville Milton Thatcher and Lillie Eckersley Thatcher. He served in the 555th Bomb Squadron, 386th Bomber Group, Medium, as a Captain and Medical Doctor during World War II. Cpt Thatcher was a passenger in the B-26 #442-96087 YA*O at the time of his death.
On June 22, 1944, the 386th BG flew in two squadrons on a mission to bomb a German headquarters in Caen, France, one of which is his. His crew took off from Station 164 in Great Dunmow, England, and while over Caen, the plane was achieved by the flak (German DCA) with a direct hit. The projectile passes through the plane and causes an explosion in flight. The crews of other aircraft in the formation are witnesses of falling debris B26-B YA-O code and report when establishing the MACR loss record (Missing Air Crew Report) 6383. Their plane crashed at Baron-sur-Odon.
CPT Thatcher is buried in the North Lawn Cemetery, Fort Dodge, Webster County, Iowa, USA.
B-26 #B-26 #442-96087 aircrew:
Lt-Col Don L. Weiss - Pilot
1Lt Axel P. Slustrop - Co-Pilot
1Lt David Meserow - Bombardier
1Lt George H. Hazlett - Navigator
T/Sgt Robert E. Perkins - Machine Gunner
S/Sgt John H. Canty - Machine Gunner
S/Sgt Thomas McCaslin - Rear Gunner
Capt Orville Donald "Don" Thatcher - Passennger
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, francecrashes39-45.net, aviation-safety.net