CAPTAIN HAMPY, Herbert W, O-432000, 322nd Bomber Squadron, 91th Bomber Group (Heavy), B-17, 41-24479, MACR: 16273, KIA, 23 November 1942

On November 23, 1942, B-17 Flying Fortress 41-24479 “Sad Sack” initiated a bombing mission on the Sub Pens at Saint-Nazaire, France. Captain Hampy was navigator on the flight. The Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) does not include details of the demise of 41-24479. All eleven occupants were determined Finding of Death (FOD) in the English Channel. The remains are unaccounted for.

Herbert W Hampy was born January 27, 1918 in Colorado Springs, Colorado to Daniel and Helena (Gieselman) Hampy. His mother, an immigrant from Germany, died when he was just two years of age. His father was a laborer in a coal and feed yard in the 1920 U. S. Census. Hampy attended Colorado State College and Colorado College.

In October 1940, Hampy enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps from El Paso County, Colorado. Service Number O-432000. Captain Hampy served as a navigator with the 322nd Bomber Squadron, 91th Bomber Group, Heavy.

Captain Hampy is memorialized in Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial in England. He was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.

References

Stories Behind the Stars

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org/). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Together We Served and on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

If you have any details, photos, or corrections for this story, please email me by clicking on my name.

Paul R. Albert - Contributing Author, Stories Behind the Stars