US citizen in the RCAF - later Flight Officer E L Decker USAAF - KIA 8 June 1944

[Allan125]

This request concerns a US citizen who enlisted in the RCAF (date and location unknown) and then he transferred to the USAAF in August 1943, and he was lost on 8 June 1944 when his P47 Thunderbolt was shot down, or crashed after losing control.

Basic details that I have are as follows (see also this link http://fox4kc.com/2015/06/03/kansas-...ory-in-france/ :

'Edmund Lamont Decker was born in Kansas City, MO June 7, 1920.

His mother, Hazel Ann McFerren Decker died in August, 1920. There is no record of his father who was named after.

He had a sister named Martha Louise Decker Cottrell.

He attended Northeast High School in Kansas City, MO and graduated in 1938.

He attended 3 years of college (Park College in Kansas City) and worked as a mailroom clerk at Skelly Oil.

At some point he left for Canada and joined the RCAF. The date and reason are unknown. (They are obviously not aware of the US citizens who enlisted in the RCAF before Pearl Harbor)

His service number and rank while in the RCAF were R125377 and his was listed as F/S E.L. Decker. (I estimate he enlisted in the RCAF in mid-1941, and obviously to become a F/S he had completed Flying Training, and as he transferred to the 8th USAAF he must have been posted to the UK to first an OTU then to either an RCAF or RAF Squadron in 1942, but this is just a best guess).

He was transferred to the USAAF in August, 1943 (some dates say August 8 another says August 16).

His American service number is T223119.

After transferring to the USAAF he was part of the 495th Fighter Training Group. Where he was trained to fly P47 Thunderbolts.

In March of 1944 he was part of the 8th Air Force 365th Fighter Group/361st Fighter Squadron.

He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters, and the Purple Heart.

He was shot down on June 8, 1944. Members of his squadron thought he over corrected or somehow caused his plane to stall, but German reports of the crash indicate that he was shot down.

He was buried 3 times, the last being the American Cemetery in Normandy.'

Unfortunately he does not feature on the Paradie Archive: Royal Canadian Air Force Personnel 1939 - 1945 - http://aircrewremembered.com/Paradie/Par...hiveD.html

More information has come out about his USAAF service, but we still need information on his RCAF service - please see http://normandy.whitebeamimages.ie/f...ghlight=Decker

This request has also been posted on the RAF Commands Forum

Many thanks

Allan