Charles B. McLean 79th FG
 

Hello,

I'm looking for more details on the death of Second Lieutenant Charles B. McLean (O-707632). He was a pilot at 86th FS / 79th FG. He died on September 22, 1944, without knowing where or how. Could you help me ?

Thank you.

JF

Re: Charles B. McLean 79th FG
 

Hello JF,

Hope this helps and may clear the fog.

2Lt. McLean, Charles B. - O-707632.
79FG/86FS
Possible P-47 loss ?
09/22/1944.
Plot C, Row 4, Grave 7, Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France.

AND

S/Sgt. McLean, Charles B. - 14102239
Left Waist Gunner
398BG/603BS
07/16/1944
B17G - 42-102476.
Originally interred in the Community Cemetery, St. Roman. ( KU Report 2498 ).
Later to the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupre, Belgium.

Alex

Re: Charles B. McLean 79th FG
 

There is a brief family tree for Charles B McLean on ancestry.com
It says he was born on 1 July 1919 in Illinois.
He graduated from Hillsboro HS, Hillsboro IL, in 1937.
I found a newspaper article in the "Decatur Herald" from 3 September 1942 which says that Charles B McLean of Hillsboro, son of Ben O McLean, was to become air cadet in the Army Air Force. On the ancestry message boards is one message which says he was in the class of 44-A and shows up in that class book for Bruce Field, Ballinger, Texas.

He does not appear at all (at least I could not find him) in the 1946 book about the 79th FG. Maybe someone else can take a look. These early books were done without word processors or computers and it is not unusual that people and events were missed. The whole book is online here:

https://archive.org/details/FalconCo...Forces19421945

In the brief family tree on ancestry, the final entry gives his death on 22 Sep 1944, Blois, Loir et Cher, France. I have no idea where that information comes from (or if it is even correct).

I believe the 86th FS, (or at least parts of it) were operating out of a base at Lyon around September 22. The whole 79th FG was about to move back to Italy. They had moved to France in late August from Italy.

There is no MACR that I can find for McLean the fighter pilot. There is a MACR for McLean the gunner but that is a different person.

Re: Charles B. McLean 79th FG
 

Entry for Lt Charles B. McLean on wwiimemorial says DNB. Possibility of accident other than aircraft related (also) possible...

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Charles B. McLean 79th FG
 

Leendert, good find. I just checked on the casualty lists for Montgomery County and he is listed as DNB.

https://nara-media-001.s3.amazonaws....8/28-2791a.gif

There may be something in the squadron records for September, 1944 which could be ordered from AFHRA.

http://airforcehistoryindex.org/data/000/057/536.xml

The "Le Valon" mentioned on the link above is probably "La Vallon" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Vallon_Airfield

Re: Charles B. McLean 79th FG
 

I gathered that (part of) 79th FG moved from Lyon-Bron (Y-6) to Le Vallon on 22 Sept 1944. Rolland referred to this as well.
There was a ground accident with a P-47 (42-27006, Capt Slatton) that day at Y-6.

Interestingly airforcehistoryindex not only gives Slatton, but also (a) Harold T. Thompson and "nine unknown crewmen" as related to this accident.
P-47 hit men and/or other aircraft?

No Charles B. McLean on said website with air accident on/around 22 Sep 1944.
Indeed not a single mentioning of Lt McLean in book about 79th FG. He was assigned to the FG but not yet arrived?

Regards,

Leendert

Re: Charles B. McLean 79th FG
 

I thank you for all the help you give me. There is no mention of an accident of a 79th aircraft for September 22, 1944. In fact there is no mention of anything at all. The only real thing is the date and name of the deceased. No doubt that in his move to Italy the 79th FG administration did not take the time to write about a death without a fight.

JF

Re: Charles B. McLean 79th FG
 

A little about Charles B McLean. He married Gena Krummel on March 16, 1939. Their son, David, (who later went by Charles David McLean) was the first child born in Montgomery County in 1940. Their second child was a daughter, Christine. The son, Charles David, died in 1991.

I could not find anything in the local Illinois newspapers about the death of Charles B McLean.