First Lieutenant Richard Olin Curtis (O-823033) was born April 4, 1923 in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York, to Elam Cross and Marjorie Hasford Garlock Curtis. His father was a chemical engineer who died in 1939 when Richard was 15. His mother moved the family from New York to Florida in 1940. Richard had two sisters and one brother, Robert C., who was a P-51 pilot with the 2nd Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Group escorting bombers over Europe.

He graduated from High School. He was single when he enlisted in the Army Air Forces on November 19, 1942. He trained as a pilot and received his wings and commission as a Second Lieutenant. He was assigned to the 391st Fighter Squadron (“Bold Tigers”), 366th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force and was sent overseas to Europe. The 366th Fighter Group eventually flew missions out of the airfield at Laon/Couvron, France (ALG A-70).

The airfield at Laon/Couvron, France, was located northwest of the city of Laon, 28 miles northwest of Reims. The Germans took over the airfield when they invaded France, and flew their own Bf-109 fighters from there. Late in August 1944 the Laon area was liberated by the Third Army, and Laon-Couvron was captured around 7 September. The airfield was declared operationally ready for combat on 10 September. Under American control it was designated as Advanced Landing Ground "A-70 Laon-Couvron." Ninth Air Force based P-47 Thunderbolt fighters at the airfield on 15 September. The fighters flew support missions during the Allied invasion of France, and into Germany, patrolling roads, strafing German military vehicles, and dropping bombs on gun emplacements, anti-aircraft artillery and concentrations of German troops if spotted.

On October 26, 1944, 1 Lt. Curtis departed ALG A-70, in P-47D-27RE A8-A #42-76137 with a flight of the 391st FS on a dive-bombing mission to Euskirchen, Germany, which was well-defended by flak installations. Findagrave.com states that “An 88mm anti-aircraft gun was aimed at A8-A, flown by 1Lt Curtis. His aircraft was hit, but he bailed out and landed safely. He was killed on the ground, either by German military personal or civilians. Later, three 88mm gun positions were taken out by other pilots.”

A statement by Major Maxey W. McGuire in MACR Report 9624 involving 1st Lt Richard O. Curtis states:

"I was leading Foxhunt red flight with Lt Curtis on my wing. We were making a 30-degree dive on four separate gun flak positions. I bombed and strafed this position and when I pulled up, I saw a plane crash. Just as I started to make another pass on the flak position, I saw a parachute in the air. I also saw the parachute reach the ground in good order, but it was very near the gun position, within one half mile in very flat country. I feel sure 1 Lt. Curtis reached the ground OK."

1 Lt. Curtis was killed on October 26, 1944 at 1245 hours 150 meters east of the train station at Gross-Vernich, Germany, 12 miles west of Bonn and 165 miles northeast of A-70. He was 21 years old.

German report J-2384 states only that he was found “dead” at/near the crash site without indicating a cause. His personal effects found on him included: Dog Tags, nine photos, Instrument Pilot Certificate, Soldiers Paybook, and the following cards: Officer ID, Physical Recreation, and Physical Fitness.

1 Lt. Curtis was initially buried in the Gross-Vernich Cemetery, POW Section, Grave 7. He was later reinterred in the Netherlands American Cemetery, Plot 1, Row 17, Grave 16 in the village of Margraten, Netherlands. The cemetery contains the graves of 8,288 American war dead and is the only American military cemetery in the Netherlands. The walls on either side of the Court of Honor contain the Tablets of the Missing on which are recorded the names of 1,722 American missing servicemen.

A Memorial Plaque honors the 366th Fighter Group "Hun Hunters" at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, as well as a Memorial Marker to the 366th located in the cemetery of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1 Lt. Curtis was awarded the Silver Star, the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.

Thank you for your sacrifice and service, 1 Lt. Curtis … Rest in Peace.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery.

SBTSProject/Florida

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please contact me at roktscientist@hotmail.com … I would be honored to make changes/additions where requested.

Sources:

1. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56297966/richard-olin-curtis

2. https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/aircraft/42-76137

3. https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/missing-aircrew-reports/macr-09624-42-76137.cfm

4. https://www.abmc.gov/decedent-search/curtis%3Drichard

5. https://www.abmc.gov/print/certificate/499391

6. https://www.ancestry.com

7. https://newspapers.com

8. Familysearch.org

9. https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/26694/

10. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_4.html

11. http://cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-bin/gzUsafSearch.pl?target=42-76137&content=

12. http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/366th_Fighter_Group.html

13. https://www.366thgunfighters.org/the-366th-in-ww-ii.html

14. https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/unit/366th-fighter-group

15. https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/unit/391st-fighter-squadron

16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/391st_Fighter_Squadron#:~:text=The%20391st%20Fighter%20Squadron%20is,the%20United%20States%20Air%20Force.

17. https://www.natotigers.org/tiger-unit/391st-fighter-squadron

18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_P-47_Thunderbolt

19. Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-406-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

Photo Credits:

ancestry.com, americanairmuseum.org, findagrave.com, laststand.com, militarygraphics.com, pinterest.com, wikipedia.com

Richard O Curtis