Hi, new to the group and apologize in advance for any breaches of etiquette, but I am looking for information like aircraft tail number, crew information, and loss report for a long lost relative. I have his name, (which turned out to be completely different than what we’ve been looking for all these years, we were looking for Anthony or Tony Squires, but turned out we had our cousinry all criss crossed) rank, and service number, and unit (I think), date of death and place of burial in France, and a picture of him. If this is this the place to get started, I will provide information in following posts. If not hopefully some of you kind gentlemen can direct me where to seek info elsewhere. Thanks for any and all assistance!

Kevin J. Wood
MSG, US Army 22yrs
C-23 Flight Engineer
FWAATS NCOIC
http://www.wv.ngb.army.mil/aviation/fwaats/

Kevin,
 
Give as much info as you have. I can assure you that you will get feedback that will amaze you.

Jules Horowitz, B-17 pilot, 99th BG, 50 missions/sorties
My tour was from 7/19/43-2/13/44

Hi Kevin
 
Welcome aboard. I see that Jules has just beaten me to it! He is correct in what he has said to you. If you can give us the details that you have there are many very helpful people on this site who can help you with information.
 
Regards
 
Chris.

Ok, here goes. Thanks for the acceptance. I also belong to a BMW (motorcycle) Forum and if you post something incorrectly there, you had better duck and cover, so I usually stay cloaked in lurk mode only. Still learn allot,  but those guys are brutal.
 
Anyway, this is what I have so far. His name is Varillus Oliver Jones. Don’t ask how we got Tony Squires out of that – long story. His Rank is Captain, Service number is O-793117. He Died on Dec 31st 1944. He entered the service from Vermont. He is buried at Epinal American Cemetery, Epinal, France.
 
I got most of that information from the American Monuments Commission Grave locator web site after genealogy web searches gave us a cousin that new his correct name, from the one and only picture we scanned and e-mailed her of him. It also said he was 12th Air Support Command. I have tried finding that unit, but have come up with zip.
 
Thanks for any help. I would like to put a shadow box together of him with maybe his crew pic, airplane pic, his medals, a set of pilot’s wings, etc. It would mean allot to my Dad. He has told the story for decades about good ole Cousin Tony.

Kevin J. Wood
MSG, US Army 22yrs
C-23 Flight Engineer
FWAATS NCOIC
http://www.wv.ngb.army.mil/aviation/fwaats/

Hi Kevin,

Have no personal knowledge of the 12th ASC but here is a little info I found on the internet that indicates they worked out of North Africa.

"In the early campaigns in Europe an RAF component was attached to the British Expeditionary Force, and individual squadrons were often attached to divisions and corps. In January 1943, the United States 12th Air Support Command in North Africa was similarly attached to the United States 2d Corps. Such arrangements negated the inherent flexibility of aviation, and centrally controlled Luftwaffe units easily overwhelmed divided Allied air squadrons."

What info in your possession indicates that he was a B-17 pilot?  Have found several obits on line of people who served with the 12ASC and one personal 'rememberance' type story.  General flavor I got was that it was more fighter oriented although nothing specific.

Hal

Hi Kevin
 
You certainly don't have to worry about asking anything on this site. There are a number of very helpful former crewmembers on this site and also researchers. I come from the latter, but like everybody else who wasn't around during WWII we have all started from scratch and at first have wondered 'where do i start from when it comes to finding information'! I wish that when i first started years ago that i had the internet and this website to help me. It would have made things so much easier.
 
Are you aware of a document called an 'Individual Deceased Personnel File', IDPF for short? This is a document which was started after a serviceman was KIA and can contain a lot of useful information.
 
Here are the details for getting hold of Varillus Oliver Jones IDPF.
 
Individual Deceased Personnel File - this file is maintained by the Department of the Army in Washington, DC. If the veteran you are researching was Killed in Action you will definitely want to obtain this file. This file documents the activities of the Graves Registration Command and the Army to locate, identify, and provide a final resting place for the deceased.

• 
  The U.S. Army Personnel Command handles these requests.

ORIGINAL: LUCKY PARTNERS

What info in your possession indicates that he was a B-17 pilot?  General flavor I got was that it was more fighter oriented although nothing specific.

Hal

 
At this point it is all just word of mouth from people I have never met. Considering we were so wrong on the name it would not surprise me if he was infact a pilot of something else.
Could he still be buried in France if he was killed in North Africa?

Kevin J. Wood
MSG, US Army 22yrs
C-23 Flight Engineer
FWAATS NCOIC
http://www.wv.ngb.army.mil/aviation/fwaats/

Kevin,

I would expect that he died in France.  From what I could find 12/31/44 was a busy day and numerous aircraft were lost that day although I have not researched specific targets or missions.  IDPF would be a good source of info but turnaround time is probably about 6 weeks.  Will continue looking for info.  The name Varillus O. Jones appears in the listings at www.accident-report.com so somewhere there is a report of whatever happened to him.

Hal

 








The top pic is the one my Dad had for years and the bottom is one sent back to him by the "cousin" he found on the net.
The other guy in the pic was his brother who died in the Navy. Looks like they are looking at a LOOK or LIFE magazine or something.

Kevin J. Wood
MSG, US Army 22yrs
C-23 Flight Engineer
FWAATS NCOIC
http://www.wv.ngb.army.mil/aviation/fwaats/

From the information that I have found, Capt Varillous Jones was assigned to the 415th Night Fighter Squadron.  I have found one document that states Capt Jones was flying a mission as Pilot on a Beaufighter type aircraft and that 2Lt Mervin Sussman was flying as his Radar Observer.  It appears reading the document that they were shot down by a friendly aircraft approximately 30 miles south of Luxeul, France.  They had departed from Ochey, France.  Send me an email to rwatkins@htc.net and I will attach this document and send to you.  I have checked various MACR databases and cannot find a reference for this crash.  You may have to request the IDPF which is taking the Army over 20 weeks to process at this time. 

Randy Watkins
MSgt, USAF (Ret)

Kevin,
 
Found this document on www.footnote.com.  Best viewed by clicking on the thumbnail then clicking again on the resulting image.
 
Hal


[image]local://12384/CA964785E7DC47C2B10AF736F4A5774F.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

Kevin,
 
The same source also has another document that mentions Jones.  See item 15 at the bottom of the page.
 
Hal


[image]local://12384/A9883198226145EF9C0C270318D3378C.jpg[/image]

Attached Image(s)

I just want to know how you posted such large photos. I have never been able to get anything past 200 KB posted.

Sincerely yours,
PA.Dutchman

Son of T/Sgt. Ray A. Heilman, JR.
11 TH Field Artillery 1937-1940
Schofield Barracks
7 TH AAC 11 BGH 42 Sq.1940-45
Hickam Survivor 12/7/1941
AAC Armorer (P) 911
P.U.Citation1942

ORIGINAL: PA.Dutchman

I just want to know how you posted such large photos. I have never been able to get anything past 200 KB posted.

 
Ahhh, the joy of being technically challenged. My ignorance is truely bliss, I have no idea, really. I don't know too much about how to post stuff. I just got lucky I guess. I know just enough to be dangerous. I think more than anything it has to do with who scanned them in the first time, maybe?
 
I will tell you that I simply pasted the photos from my Dad's e-mail to my desktop, then opened my myspace page (which is only used to post pictures of my motorcycle adventures to the BMW forum) then sucked them into my myspace folder. Once they are there open them up, click properties, cut and paste the URL (I think) what ever the thing is that starts with http:// (make sure to highlight the entire three row address)then paste that info into the picture box text line that comes up when you click on the picture insert button. I actually had to resize them much smaller once they apeared on this forum by moving the little boxes at the edge of each corner. I am sure there is a much more technical and easier way to do it, but it is what works for me. Hope that helps.

Kevin J. Wood
MSG, US Army 22yrs
C-23 Flight Engineer
FWAATS NCOIC
http://www.wv.ngb.army.mil/aviation/fwaats/

However you did it they are WONDERFUL!!  Really nicely done, thank you for explaining the process to me.

Sincerely yours,
PA.Dutchman

Son of T/Sgt. Ray A. Heilman, JR.
11 TH Field Artillery 1937-1940
Schofield Barracks
7 TH AAC 11 BGH 42 Sq.1940-45
Hickam Survivor 12/7/1941
AAC Armorer (P) 911
P.U.Citation1942

No prob. Glad to help. I have recieved so much assistance here it is overwhelming. I can't believe I have gotten farther in about four hours than my Dad and I have in over twenty years. This forum is awesome!!!Thank You all.

Kevin J. Wood
MSG, US Army 22yrs
C-23 Flight Engineer
FWAATS NCOIC
http://www.wv.ngb.army.mil/aviation/fwaats/

Chris,
 
That old info from our Research Help page has been updated.  I'm not sure where you're seeing the old version at.
 
There's a slight address change and we no longer include a link to the army site since they changed it.
 
For the most recent info click on the Research Help page found here:
http://www.armyairforces.com/ResearchHelp/tabid/99/Default.aspx
 
 

Scott Burris, 381st BGMA LTM
ArmyAirForces.com

At this point it is all just word of mouth from people I have never met. Considering we were so wrong on the name it would not surprise me if he was infact a pilot of something else.
Could he still be buried in France if he was killed in North Africa?

He could very well have been a B-17 pilot and then transitioned to Night Fighters.   I know of other instances where B-17 pilots finished their combat tours and went on to fly other aircraft.   They were probably frustrated fighter pilots (aren't all pilots?) to start with .

Scott Burris, 381st BGMA LTM
ArmyAirForces.com

ORIGINAL: Scott Burris
He could very well have been a B-17 pilot and then transitioned to Night Fighters.   I know of other instances where B-17 pilots finished their combat tours and went on to fly other aircraft.   They were probably frustrated fighter pilots (aren't all pilots?) to start with .

 
Thanks for that piece of consideration. That is a possibility. Heck, I work at the Fixed Wing Army National Gaurd Aviation Training Site (FWAATS). We teach the C-12, C-23, and the C-26, and I do see my share of guys come through one aircraft course and come back through for another, and yes, most of them are frustrating, uh, I mean frustrated.
 
I hope I can find out when and where he entered service and recieved training and in what aircraft he flew etc. It would mean allot to my family to discover that type of info. I have already started a binder.

Kevin J. Wood
MSG, US Army 22yrs
C-23 Flight Engineer
FWAATS NCOIC
http://www.wv.ngb.army.mil/aviation/fwaats/

Scott ?  I've posted some info and a pic twice on this thread, and it's gone both times. Something wrong with it ?

SHAEF1944 American Veterans Museum