Army Fire Fighting Platoons
| Fire Fighting Platoon Members Died in the Line of Duty Roll of Honor |
| Captain Glen G. Griswold, Army Fire Marshall, City of Naples Captain Griswold was killed when a CWS-Ammo Depot exploded Private Lemial E. Clutter, 1204th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon Private Clutter was killed by a vehicle driven by a drunk driver. 1st Lieutenant Charles M. King, 1206th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon, 24 March 1944 Lt. King was killed by machine gun fire from a German airplane at the Anzio Beachhead Private Chester W. Owens, 1219th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon, 24 December 1944 Private Owens died from enemy artilery fire in the Ardennes, Belgium Unknown Personnel, 1226th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon, 1944 3 Unknown members of the 1226th, Normany, France Corporal Willie E. Banks, 1250th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon, 8 June 1944 Corporal Banks died from a gunshot wound he received in the camp area at Aversa, Italy 1st Lieutenant Otto M. Theurer, 1250th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon, 27 July 1944 Lt. Otto M. Theurer was killed while investigating an ammunition dump fire at Anzio, Italy. 2nd Lt. Orval V. Sawyer, 1250th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon, 21 January 1946 Unknown at this time. Staff Sergeant Samuel Turner, 1984th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 19 March 1944 Staff Sergeant Turner died while fighting an ammunition dump fire at Migano, Italy T/5 William H. Collins, 1986th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 16 April 1944 T/5 Clayton Jones Private John Puller The above members of the 1986th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon were killed when the bomb load on a burning B-24 bomber exploded at Manduria Airbase, Italy T/5 Louis Brice, 1989th Engineer Aivation Fire Fighting Platoon, 5 Feb 1945 T/5 Louis Brice died when the aircraft in which he was a passenger crashed near Rome, Itlay Private Jack Gibson, 1992nd Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 20 May 1944 Private Harland E. Owen Private Gibson and Owen were killed while engaged in fire fighting operations on a downed P-51 aircraft at Lucera Airbase, Foggia, Italy T/5 Elwood F. Evans, 1992nd Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 19 May 1945 Unknown at this time. Private Clifford Bell, 1995 Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 31 July 1944 Private Clifford Bell died of injuries recieved from an accidental shooting at Borgo Airbase, Italy Staff Sergeant John F. Gallagher, 2014th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 18 June 1944 Staff Sergeant Gallagher was killed in a motor vehicle accident near Army Air Force Station #484, Folkingham, England Private First Class Fred H. Bothe, 2018th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 28 May 1944 Private Wood Hibbard Private Fred H. Bothe and Private Wood Hibbard were killed while fighting a fire in an aircraft that crashed at Ibsley Airbase, England Private First Class Carl A. Rogers, 2024th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 17 Dec 1943 PFC Rogers died from injuries received in a rail accident at Wattisham Airbase, England Unknown Personnel, 2025th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 24 April 1944 Two firefighters were killed when the aircraft they were passengers crashed and burned a short distance from Bury St. Edmonds Airbase, England Sergeant Monroe Atchley, 2033rd Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 4 June 1044 Private Ted Bunalski Sergeant Monroe and Private Bunalski were killed while fighting a fire in an aircraft that crashed at Shipdham Airbase, England 1st. Lieutenant Laurence E. Radlinger, 2047th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 9 December 1944 Sergeant Roy W. Jones Sergeant Charles R. Pick Corporal Inez G. Garcia T/5 Oscar R. Adams T/5 Charles P. Lavoy T/5 Harold A. Nelson T/5 Leo V. Page Private First Class George A. Felion Private First Class Armando R. Orante Private First Class Joseph H. Sandstrom Private James C. Brasington Private Carlos S. Perez Sergeant Lester C. Crabb T/5 Harry A. Dixon The above members of the 2047th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon were killed at Advance Landing Ground A-71, Chastres, France, when a B-26 returning from an operational mission crashed at the East-West runway and immediately burst into flames. The two crash crews arrived at the scene of the crash at 1134 hours. The crash crew with the aid of the Medical Corps had rescued two of the wounded crew members. In an attempt to rescue the third member the bomb load which the plane was carrying detonated and resulted in the above casualties. 1st Lieutenant Alden B. Parker, 2058th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 1 January, 1945 Sergeant Elmer K. Juelg Corporial Wilbert G. Reiker T/5 Leonard S. Luczkowski T/5 Jerold M. Bostick The above members of the 2058th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon were killed at Advanced landing Ground A-59, Cormeilles-en-vexin, France, when a plane taking off on a mission crashed and burned near the end of the runway. Three crew members of the plane escaped and a fourth was rescued by firefighters and carried to safety. Shortly thereafter, the bombs on board the aircraft exploded killing three firefighters, the fourth died within hours and the fifth died on 3 Jan 45. Unknown Personnel, 2067th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 29 March 1944 Two firefighters were killed when bombs exploded while fighting fire and performing rescue work on two Liberators which had collided in mid-air and fell to the ground in flames in the vincinity of Halesworth Airbase, England 1st Lieutenant Allison H. Chapin, 2086th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 20 February 1945 Lieutenant Allison Chaplin was injured on 19 February 1945 by a prematurely exploding rifle grenade in the Burma-India Theater and died from those injuries on 10 February 1945. Private First Class Clifford Gallina, 2086th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 20 May 1945 Private Clifford Gallina died when the aircraft in which he was a passenger crashed in the Burma-India Theater. Corporal Ed Paupas, 2096th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 21 March 1945 Corporal Ed Paupas was killed when he fell from the back of a moving crash truck and was struck by a jeep. Kimbolton Airbase, England. Private John F. Flahery, 2112th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 9 May 1944 Private John F. Flaherty was killed when a damaged aircraft returning from a mission crashed into his crash truck. Deopham Airbase, England Private Joseph E. Zokvic, 2123rd Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 8 June 1944 Private Joseph E. Zokvic died from injuries received when the crash truck on which he was responding was struck by a vehicle at Wattisham Airbase, England Corporal Anthony G. Papaleo, 2145th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 8 June 1944 Corporal Anthony Papaleo was killed when a 500 lb bomb from a burning Libertor exploded in the vincinity Gosfield Airbase , England 1st Lieutenant Emile Joseph, 2150th Engineer Aviation Fire Fighting Platoon, 9 December 1944 Unknown at this time at Advanced Landing Ground A-68, Juvincourt, France. |
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| My friend and fellow researcher Jim Davis at the gravesite of Pvt. Chester W. Owens at the Henri-Chaplelle Military Cemetery, Belgium. Pvt. Owens was a member of the 1219th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon and died 24 Dec 1944 from injuries recieved from enemy artillery in the Ardennes, Belgium. Thanks to Jim for the photo. |
| Private Ted R. Bunalski 2033rd Engineer Aviation FF Platoon KIA 4 June 44 |
| Page from the records of the 2047th EAFFP in regards to the Army firefighter deaths. Click page to enlarge |
| 2nd Lieutenant Orval V. Sawyer 2050th Engineer FF Platoon KIA 21 January 1946 |
| Information on the deaths of Private Gibson & Owen 1992nd EAFFP |
| Information on the deaths of members of the 2058th EAFFP 1 Jan 1945 |
Last updated 20 April 2010
| This "Died In The Line Of Duty" listing is a joint venture on the part of Jim Davis, former member of the 1204th Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon; Allen Ward, Master Sergeant retired, US Army and Ted Heinbuch, former Army Firefighter, Anne Arundel County FD, MD. retired. |
