1st Lt. Fleming D. Pierce, Jr.
Lt. Pierce was stationed at Keevil, England with the 9th AAF.
His squadron, the 153rd was originally an anti-submarine squadron till Jan. 1942.
Then went to the European Theater.
The squadron became an observation squadron until July 1942
then a Liaison squadron designated in May 1943.
The liaison sqdn. re- designation was never acted upon
because the official news never reached them
until in Sept ’43 so Lt. Pierce obviously flew as part of
an observation sqdn. at the time of his death.
On August 20, 1943 the accident report from England states:
(this was not a bombing mission and he was not killed in action but
killed by flying a “non operational” flight. A training mission.
A-20B-DL9(type plane) #41-3389 belonging to the 67th Reconnaissance Group,
153rd Reconnaissance Squadron took off from Keevil AAF Base on an
operational flight and had been airborne about thirty minutes
before crashing into a stone house on top of a hill at Cotnell Farm,
one mile north of Dinder, east of Wells, Somerset.
All on board were killed. The crew consisted of:
Pilot: 1st Lt. Paul F Kimball;
Gunner: S/Sgt Charlie G. Cook;
Observer: 1st Lt. Fleming D. Pierce Jr.
and Gunner: Cpl. Edward W. Vedder.
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