Dennis Eugene “Tex” Coffman
10/17/1921 - 05/05/1981
1. COFFMAN
a)
Dennis Eugene “Tex” Coffman 10/17/1921 - 05/05/1981
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2. World War II, U.S. Army Air Corp.
a) B-26
B-26 Marauder Medium Bomber
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/aboutus/history/B26Marauder.html
How to Fly the B-26 Airplane
http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com/B-26.html
http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com/realg2/B-26RV1056.ram
Martin B-26 Marauder
http://www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/018.htm
Old Glory Prints
http://www.oldgloryprints.com/Pay-Off.htm
13165811
RU-A, 554th Bomber Squadron, 386th Bomber Group, 99th
Bombardment Wing (Medium), 9th Bomber Command
(Transferred
from 8th Air Force 3rd Bomber Wing)
b)
Great Dunmow: Essex Gardens, Easton Lodge
i) http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=great+dunmow,+england&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.710275,59.238281&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=15&ll=51.884253,0.311136&spn=0.012821,0.043001&t=h
ii)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Greatdunmow-2jun1947.jpg
iii)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Great_Dunmow
iv)
http://www.dunmoweb.co.uk/
v)
http://www.armyairforces.com/forum/m_94962/tm.htm
vi)
http://www.eastonlodge.co.uk/
vii)
http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/gallery/Great-Dunmow/DSC01782
c) MEDALS
i) Distinguished Flying Cross
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ii) Air Medal
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iii) Ribbons
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3.
AIRCRAFT
a) Martin B-26 Marauder
Wednesday, September
8, 1943 - 386th Bomb Group Mission Number 18.
... Top gunners in the first three ships fired at the enemy;
one of whom was Staff Sergeant
Dennis E. Coffman flying in, "PRIVY DONNA" 131658 RU-A. His
pilot was ...
www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/018.htm - 21k - Cached
- Similar
pages
Sunday, October 24,
1943 - 386th Bomb Group Mission Number 35.
... Top turret gunner DE Coffman flying with Captain
Albert Caney in their plane named,
"PRIVY DONNA" 131658 RU-A let loose with 50 rounds at 300 yards, and ...
www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/035.htm - 21k - Cached
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pages
Target: Marshalling
Yard at Venlo, Holland. 386th Bomb Group ...
... Lieutenant Tomasello pilot of ship 131812 RU-J flying in
number five position of
the lead flight, saw Lieutenant Kay’s ship "PRIVY DONNA"
131658 RU-A receive ...
www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/283.htm - 12k - Cached
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pages
Friday, November
5,1943, 386th Bomb Group Mission Number 38.
... formation. Captain Albert Caney third box leader had a
technical problem
with his aircraft named "PRIVY DONNA" 131658 RU-A.
Lieutenant ...
www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/038.htm - 16k - Cached
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pages
Sunday,
September 26, 1943 - 386th Bomb Group Mission Recalled.
... 0842 hours. High flight leader Captain Albert Caney
maneuvered his
plane "PRIVY DONNA" 131658 RU-A into the air at 0849
hours. Low ...
www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/
mission_recalled_1.htm - 14k - Cached
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pages
Tuesday, September
14, 1943 - 386th Bomb Group Mission Number 22.
... Lieutenant Peters flying, "PRIVY DONNA"
131658 RU-A slid into number three position
low flight, lead box - the spot Flight Officer Watson had just vacated. ...
www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/022.htm - 17k - Cached
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pages
Wednesday, September
15, 1943 - 386th Bomb Group Mission Number 23 ...
... Captain Thomas White while flying, "PRIVY DONNA"
13165811 RU-A in number four position
in the second box, felt the vibrations of machine gun fire within his ...
www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/023.htm - 25k - Cached
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pages
Wednesday, September
22, 1943 - 386th Bomb Group Mission Number 26 ...
... Captain Caney’s plane, "PRIVY DONNA"
131658 RU-A in the low flight and,
"THUMBS UP" in the high flight being flown by Lieutenant Lein. ...
www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier/026.htm - 31k - Cached
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pages
i. An Account of the "PRIVY DONNA"
http://www.b26.com/historian/chester_klier.htm
…
Lieutenant Tomasello pilot of ship 131812 RU-J flying in
number five position of the lead flight, saw Lieutenant Kay’s ship "PRIVY
DONNA" 131658 RU-A receive a flak hit. The right side engine began to
trail smoke! Lieutenant Kay continued on the bomb run as all planes closed bomb
bay doors at 1750 hours while making a steep left turn off the target. The flak
guns pounded away as eight Marauders were struck by shrapnel.
…
Near Antwerp, Belgium Lieutenant Kay had to shut down his
right engine as his crew jettisoned their bomb load in an unarmed condition.
All flight instruments had been shot out on the bomb run. With "PRIVY
DONNA’s" right engine still smoking with a feathered propeller Lieutenant
Kay spiraled down steeply through breaks in the heavy clouds. The aircraft
broke clear of the overcast at 2,000 feet and its pilot headed for Charleroi
after calling Sweepstakes for a heading.
…
Meanwhile Lieutenant Kerr had reached the P-51 and P-38
Base of the 76th Tactical Photo Reconnaissance Group at Charleroi. It was a
grass strip only 3600 feet long. He flew a left hand pattern and landed. Upon
touch down he noted the grass was wet and slippery. Because of the poor light
conditions he could not see the far end of the runway, and his brakes would not
stop the aircraft. Seeing there was danger of overrunning, he hit the landing
gear release, pulled up wheels and the aircraft slid on its belly. The plane
struck a revetment and crashed into 9,000 gallons of gasoline stored in five
gallon cans that had been temporarily stacked up at the end of the runway. The
aircraft and all of that gasoline caught fire at once!
…
Lieutenant Kay’s "PRIVY DONNA" appeared over the
field as the flames shot skyward. He prepared to make a single engine landing,
realizing the shortness of the runway he pulled up and went around. On his
second try he decided he could not land without overrunning, so he pulled up
and went around again; his third approach was angled away from the fire on the
field, he retracted his landing gear, pulled up flaps and came in on the belly.
None of his crew were injured, and no major damage to the aircraft in the
landing.
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d)
Boeing B-29 "Superfortress"
http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/korea/Chap2.htm
e) Boeing B-52 Statofortress
f)
Fairchild C-123 Provider
g) McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
h) Convair F-102A "Delta Dagger"
Elmendorf Air Force
Base Static Aircraft Display
http://www.elmendorf.af.mil/3wing/units/history/webdocs/Museum%20F-102A.htm
http://www.photovault.com/Link/Military/AirForce/Aircraft/F-102DeltaDagger.html
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/fighter/f102.htm
4.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to