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Old 11th March 2021, 00:05
RSwank RSwank is offline
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Re: Shaver Kenneth 34036141 KIA Belgium 05 november 1943

Kenneth Daniel Shaver was the Flight Eng/Top Turret Gunner on B-17 42-30142, "Pistol Packin Mama". He was not KIA but actually evaded. He was first reported missing in 1943 then incorrectly reported dead in 1944.

MACR is here (note it contains some 10 or so pages from a different MACR):
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/90936783

The Fort Log has:

42-30142 Del Cheyenne 15/4/43; Sioux City 30/4/43; Kearney 4/5/43; Bangor 22/5/43; Ass
544BS/384BG [SU-L] Grafton Underwood 29/9/43; trans 560BS/388BG Knettishall /43; MIA {35m}
Gelsenkirchen 5/11/43

w/Roy Walker, n-Ken Haines, b-Don Naughton, ro-George Harper, wg-Luther Hawkins (5 POW);

wg-Bill Marshall, btg-Bob Feese (2 KIA); cp-Bill Koenig, ettg-Ken Shaver, tg-John
Buckner (3 EVD after escaping from POW train); flak, c/l Ijzendijke, eight miles SE of Flushing, Hol;

MACR 3123. PISTOL PACKIN' MAMA

(Note: William Koenig and John Buckner were recaptured, only Shaver successfully evaded and made it to Spain. So for the crew of 10 men, 2 were KIA, 7 were POWs and 1 (Shaver) evaded.)

Shaver E&E Report: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5555315
Clayton C David E&E report: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5555314 (David was from the 303BG/358BS (B-17) 42-29524 Meat Hound)
(Shaver and David made it to Spain together in Apr 44.)


Newspaper Clipping from 1943 announcing Shaver Missing: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7314...-and-observer/
Newspaper Clipping from 1944 announcing Shaver Dead: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7315...otte-observer/
Newspaper Clipping from June 6 1944, announcing Shaver Alive (NOW a POW??): https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7321...otte-observer/
Newspaper Clipping from June 7, 1944 announcing Shaver is NOT a POW: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7321...otte-observer/

Strange, did the family misread the telegram or did the newspaper make a mistake on the story.

A photo of the plane is here: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/4109


Shaver died in 2006 and his obit is here: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ch...r&pid=17732536

or here with a photo: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7314...otte-observer/


Here is the story of Shaver's escape as reported in a 1946 North Carolina newspaper. Perhaps a "little" more dramatic than what he wrote in his E&E above ;-)

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7315...otte-observer/

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7315...otte-observer/

Last edited by RSwank; 11th March 2021 at 21:48.
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