Lawrence Shellhamer

Lawrence was a B-25 Mitchell Medium Bomber Engineer/Gunner with the 321st Bomb Group, 446th Bomb Squad.    Lawrence was buried at BASTIA Cemetery on Corsica until April 1945, transferred to Nettuno Cemetery in Italy (see note below).

Monday, 15 May 1944

 

446th BS War Diary:   The squadron loses Lt. George Walsh, Lt. Harry B. Wilcox, Lt. Roy W. Lee, Technical Sergeant James Orechia, Staff Sgt. E.P. Thornton and Staff Sgt. Lawrence Shellhamer in a crash landing at our field.  A crash landing was made and the plane burned upon striking the ground with all members of the crew killed.  Another of our ships had to be landed in the water and the crew was rescued by Air Sea Rescue patrols.  A third ship was forced down at Pianosa Island held by the enemy and the following men are presumed to be Prisoners of War:  Lts. Othick, Mayfield, Griffin and EM Youngblood, Cobb and Miller.  Sergeant Napoliello, on the sea crash plane, had to make his second parachute jump and both leaps were on the same day of the same month.   He made a jump on May 15th of 1943 in Mississippi.

One of Lawrence's Combat Missions;   2 May 44–

  A/C No. 41-30293 P Walsh, George F., 1Lt CP Fitzgerald, John (NMI) “Jack”, 2Lt N None B McRae, James Arrington, 2Lt E Shellhamer, Lawrence (NMI), Cpl R Orechia, James Raymond “Raymond” “Raymond”, T/Sgt G Thornton, Edward P., Sgt F None
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Shellhamer, Lawrence (NMI), S/Sgt., Engineer-Gunner,
Service # : 33028669
KILLED IN ACTION on 15 May 1944

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Name: Lawrence Shellhamer Birth Year: 1918
Race: White, citizen (White) Nativity State or Country: Pennsylvania
State of Residence: Pennsylvania County or City: Delaware
Enlistment Date: 22 Mar 1941 Enlistment State: Pennsylvania
Enlistment City: Philadelphia USA
Grade Code: Private Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Unskilled structural- and ornamental-metal workers
Marital Status: Single, without dependents Height: 71 Weight: 148

World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas
Name: Lawrence Shellhamer Inducted From: Pennsylvania
Rank: Corporal Combat Organization: 446th Bomber Squadron
321st Bomber Death Date: 15 May 1944
Monument: Sicily & Rome, Italy Last Known Status: Buried
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal; Air Medal

Dear Barbara,              Sept. 2012 I am back to Corsica and in looking at the newsletters, Winter 1990 (Florence cemetery) , Fall 1990 (Anzio Nettuno cemetery), giving the names of the 446th BS Airmen who died at Solenzara in Corsica, i didn't see the names ofGeorge Walsh , Harry B Wilcox , Roy W lee and T/Sgt James Orechia in the italian cemeteries of Florence and Anzio Nettuno. But concerning S/SgtE.P. Thornton , and Lawrence Shellhamer they are listed in the cemetery of Anzio Nettuno Italy, this information is given in the 57th Bomb Wing newsletter journal issue of Fall 1990. I am almost sure that when they died May 15 1944, they had been buried at Bastia and transferred in April 1945 when the 57th Bomb Wing left Corsica. Now what happened to these remains after the war, i can't tell you. As you know some next of kin asked to return the remains to the USA.   Best regards.  Dominique Taddei, Corsican Historian, Author and Researcher.