Paul served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24D "Black Widow" #42-40967, 528th Bomber Squadron, 380th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on August 12, 1942 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in warehousing and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24D #42-40967 took off from Fenton Airfield on a reconnaissance mission over Nabire, Manokwari and Sorong on New Guinea. While over Manokwari and attacking shipping in the harbor, this B-24 suffered a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire and was seen crashing and burning during the war.
The entire crew was killed in the crash. Aboard was Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P/O Keith H. Bevan who served as the R. C. M. operator.
Paul was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13089327
Paul also has a "Cenotaph" in the Union Cemetery, Irwin, Pennsylvania with his parents.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-40967:
Adkins, Kenneth R, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, WV
Beller, Maurice W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WI
Bevan, Keith H ~ PO, Radar Operator
Churchek, Arnold W ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Johnson, Lincoln ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Nigrini, Paul ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Rakow, Floyd E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MN
Rivera, Ernest ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Root, Lee R ~ FO, Co-Pilot, NY
Thomas, William M ~ Pvt, Gunner, NY
Trexler, John M, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NC
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on August 12, 1942 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in warehousing and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24D #42-40967 took off from Fenton Airfield on a reconnaissance mission over Nabire, Manokwari and Sorong on New Guinea. While over Manokwari and attacking shipping in the harbor, this B-24 suffered a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire and was seen crashing and burning during the war.
The entire crew was killed in the crash. Aboard was Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P/O Keith H. Bevan who served as the R. C. M. operator.
Paul was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13089327
Paul also has a "Cenotaph" in the Union Cemetery, Irwin, Pennsylvania with his parents.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-40967:
Adkins, Kenneth R, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, WV
Beller, Maurice W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WI
Bevan, Keith H ~ PO, Radar Operator
Churchek, Arnold W ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Johnson, Lincoln ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Nigrini, Paul ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Rakow, Floyd E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MN
Rivera, Ernest ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Root, Lee R ~ FO, Co-Pilot, NY
Thomas, William M ~ Pvt, Gunner, NY
Trexler, John M, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NC
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul served as a Staff Sergeant & Gunner on B-24D "Black Widow" #42-40967, 528th Bomber Squadron, 380th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on August 12, 1942 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in warehousing and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24D #42-40967 took off from Fenton Airfield on a reconnaissance mission over Nabire, Manokwari and Sorong on New Guinea. While over Manokwari and attacking shipping in the harbor, this B-24 suffered a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire and was seen crashing and burning during the war.
The entire crew was killed in the crash. Aboard was Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P/O Keith H. Bevan who served as the R. C. M. operator.
Paul was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13089327
Paul also has a "Cenotaph" in the Union Cemetery, Irwin, Pennsylvania with his parents.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-40967:
Adkins, Kenneth R, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, WV
Beller, Maurice W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WI
Bevan, Keith H ~ PO, Radar Operator
Churchek, Arnold W ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Johnson, Lincoln ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Nigrini, Paul ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Rakow, Floyd E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MN
Rivera, Ernest ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Root, Lee R ~ FO, Co-Pilot, NY
Thomas, William M ~ Pvt, Gunner, NY
Trexler, John M, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NC
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on August 12, 1942 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in warehousing and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24D #42-40967 took off from Fenton Airfield on a reconnaissance mission over Nabire, Manokwari and Sorong on New Guinea. While over Manokwari and attacking shipping in the harbor, this B-24 suffered a direct hit by anti-aircraft fire and was seen crashing and burning during the war.
The entire crew was killed in the crash. Aboard was Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P/O Keith H. Bevan who served as the R. C. M. operator.
Paul was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13089327
Paul also has a "Cenotaph" in the Union Cemetery, Irwin, Pennsylvania with his parents.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-40967:
Adkins, Kenneth R, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, WV
Beller, Maurice W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WI
Bevan, Keith H ~ PO, Radar Operator
Churchek, Arnold W ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, TX
Johnson, Lincoln ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IL
Nigrini, Paul ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Rakow, Floyd E ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MN
Rivera, Ernest ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Root, Lee R ~ FO, Co-Pilot, NY
Thomas, William M ~ Pvt, Gunner, NY
Trexler, John M, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, NC
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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