https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/seattle-wa/alfred-turgeon-10180102

Alfred Francis TURGEON

SEPTEMBER 18, 1919 – AUGUST 1, 1943

IN THE CARE OFEvergreen Washelli Funeral Home & Cemetery

Remains of long lost WWII B-24 hero return home.

The Gold Star Family of USAAF TSgt Alfred “Freddy” F. Turgeon (MIA/KIA) today announce his Identification and Repatriation to his Family after 78 Years.

Technical Sergeant Alfred “Freddy” F. Turgeon was the Radio Operator and Waist Gunner on the storied Consolidated B-24 Heavy Bomber, “The Vulgar Virgin” when he was killed while engaged in Operation Tidal Wave over Ploiesti, Romania on 1 Aug, 1943.

Alfred was born in 1919 in Worcester Massachusetts to Ruth Cutler and Alfred Turgeon Sr.

A young 21yr old Alfred enlisted in the Army Air Corp in the summer of 1941.

He was assigned to the 9th Air Force and after extensive training at Barksdale, LA and Wendover, UT was deployed with the 98th Bomb Group (Heavy) - 344th Bomber Squadron to North Africa in late 1942. They were know as “The Pyramiders.” The Squadron flew multiple combat support missions out of Benghazi Libya to targets in North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Greece.

On 1 August,1943 the ”Pyramiders” joined the other B-24 Squadrons of the 98th in Operation Tidal Wave, the low level daylight bombing raid on the Nazi Oil Refineries at Ploiesti, Romania.

TSgt Turgeon was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, The Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, The Bronze Star with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, The Good Conduct Medal, The Presidential Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, The American Campaign Medal, The European-African-Middle East Campaign Medal, The World War II Victory Medal and The Purple Heart.

TSgt Turgeon will be interred with Full Military Honors at the Memorial Garden of St Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Shoreline Washington later this year. He will lie next to his sister, Lorraine Bass (Cutler) in the family columbarium.

He is survived by his sister, Mrs Joan Mackie (Cutler,Tucker) of Shoreline Washington, Nephews Phillip Tucker and Craig Tucker of Ketchikan Alaska and David Bass of Indianapolis, Indiana and Niece Kathy Newman (Tucker) of Seattle Washington along with numerous great nieces and nephews.

From The American Air Museum:

“On that day, 47 B-24 Liberators of the 344th Squadron took off for the raid against the Ploesti oil refineries. Only 21 returned safely. ‘THE VULGAR VIRGIN', flying as the lead aircraft in the "E" Section of the 98th's formation, took a direct hit in the nose section by flak over the target and burst into flames. The pilot pulled out of formation and ordered a bail out. It is believed they were still too low for the chutes to open and only the pilot, Wallace Taylor, one of the four who got out, survived. This was the crew’s fate: Capt. Wallace C. Taylor, Pilot (POW), F/O Paul W. Packer, CoPilot (KIA), 1st Lt. Jack K. Wood, Navigator (KIA), 1st Lt. Robert N. Austin, Bombardier (KIA), T/Sgt. Gerald E. Rabb, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner (KIA), T/Sgt. Alfred F. Turgeon, Radio Operator/Left Waist Gunner (KIA), S/Sgt. Ralph M. Robbins, Gunner/Asst. Eng. (KIA), S/Sgt. Louis Kaiser, Right Waist Gunner (KIA), S/Sgt. Donald H. Duchene, Tail Gunner (KIA), Sgt. Arthur B. Van Kleek, Tunnel Gunner (KIA). Aug 1, 1943.”

“B-24D Liberator bomber, flown by Capt. Wallace C. Taylor, in the 9th Air Force, the 98th Bomb Group, "The Pyramiders", and the 344th Bomb Squadron flown of of the USAAF Air Base at Benghazi, Libya. Lt. Taylor and 'THE VULGAR VIRGIN' flew on Operation Tidal Wave, the large mission to destroy the German oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania on August 1, 1943. Their target was code named, "White IV", the Astra Romano refinery. As the two groups, the 98th and the 44th Bomb Groups, being led by Col. Leon Johnson and Col. John R. Kane, approached their targets, the entire area was already on fire and compromised by the flames, smoke, and exploding delayed action bombs previously dropped by the 93rd Bomb Group ahead of the attack plan. When the 98th bomb Group, led by Col. Kane, entered a wall of smoke and flames over the Astra Romano refinery complex, #41-24198, 'THE VULGAR VIRGIN', did not reappear coming out of the smoke, shot down and lost over their target.”

Alfred F Turgeon