First Lieutenant Edward Matthew Albright Jr. (O-790606) was born August 26, 1916 in Norfolk, Norfolk County, Virginia, to Edward Matthew and Olivia Lee White Albright. His father was the proprietor of a florist shop. Edward was an only child.

He graduated from Granby High School in Norfolk in 1935, then attended the College of William and Mary - Norfolk for two years where he studied Engineering. He was single and already working as a licensed private pilot when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces on November 5, 1941. He became a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter pilot, received his pilot wings and commission and was assigned to the 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force. He was initially a flying instructor at Spence Field, Montgomery, Alabama, before being transferred overseas and joining the 63rd FS at AAF-150 at Boxted, England, in 1944. 2 Lt. Albright married Gladys Edith Brown on December 9, 1942.

Royal Air Force Boxted (AAF-150) was located 4 miles north-northeast of Colchester, Essex, England. It was the home base of the 56th Fighter Group (61st, 62nd, 63rd Fighter Squadrons) of the Eighth Air Force. Flying the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, the 56th FG was the most successful of the Eighth Air Force groups in air-to-air combat. It engaged in counter-air and interdictory missions during the invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Supported Allied forces for the breakthrough at Saint-Lô in July and participated in the Battle of the Bulge, December 1944 to January 1945. Helped to defend the Remagen bridgehead against air attacks in March 1945. The 56th Fighter Group occupied AAF-150 from April 19, 1944 to September 15, 1945.

1 Lt. Albright had flown 54 combat missions with only three missions remaining before rotation. On September 17, 1944, flying P-47D-28RE Thunderbolt 44-19786, 1 Lt. Albright departed AAF-150 leading a flight of four of the 63rd FS on a bombing and strafing mission against targets of opportunity in the area of Amersfoort, Holland, 192 miles east of AAF-150.

The flight dropped down out of the clouds from 13,000 to 4,000 feet to attack the marshalling yards at Amersfoort and encountered light flak guns firing at them. 1 Lt. Albright’s belly tank exploded and detached itself from his plane. He pulled directly up into a cloud formation and radioed that he was heading south and getting on top of the clouds. He then radioed that his oil pressure had dropped to zero and that he was going to bail out. He was never seen or heard from again during the mission. MACR 8995

On September 17, 1944 at 1240 hours, 1 Lt. Edward M. Albright was hit by anti-aircraft fire and died when he crashed eight miles southeast of Amersfoort, Holland. He was 28 years old.

His remains were eventually found and returned to the U.S. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Norfolk, alongside his parents, in Plot Elm, Block 2ND A W, Lot 64 1/2 at a burial ceremony on May 15, 1949. His name is listed on the “Role of Honor” in Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. He is also included on a memorial at William and Mary - Norfolk.

1 Lt. Albright was awarded six medals in three months, including the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters, American Defense Service Medal, and the Purple Heart.

This story is part of the

Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a

national effort of volunteers to write the 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/Virginia

If you noticed anything

erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it,

please contact me at roktscientist@hotmail.com.

Sources:

1. 1920, 1930, 1940 Federal Census

2. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53246003/edward-matthew-albright

3. https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/missing-aircrew-reports/macr-08995-44-19786.cfm

4. https://www.ancestry.com

5. https://www.newspapers.com

6. https://wwiiregistry.abmc.gov/honoree-search-results/?first_name=edward&last_name=albright&hometown=&branch_code=1&state_code=-1325&db_code%5B%5D=R&db_code%5B%5D=W

7. https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/person/edward-matthew-albright

8. https://www.armyaircorpsmuseum.org/56th_Fighter_Group.cfm

9. http://www.56thfightergroup.co.uk/

10. http://www.56thfightergroup.co.uk/personnel.htm

11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/63rd_Fighter_Squadron

12. https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/unit/63rd-fighter-squadron

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

14. Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556.

15. “Zemke’s Wolfpack: A Photographic Odyssey of the 56th Fighter Group during World War II,” Peter Randall and Nigel Julian, Fighting High Limited, 2015.

Photo Credits:

1. americanairmuseum.com, ancestry.com, findagrave.com, newspapers.com, worldwarphotos.info, wwiiregistry.abmc.gov

Edward M Albright Jr