MCALLISTER, WILFRED April 5, 1944 age 25 DNB Romania

WILFRED BRANDON MCALLLISTER  b. Dec 11, 1919 Lambton, Ont., Canada d. April 5, 1944   Died Non Battle Ocnito, Romania

1^st Lt O-743146 Army Air Corps 451^st Bomb Group 727^th Bomb Squad

 

 

Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Parents: Harry & Harriett (Booth)
Siblings: George, Melvin, Francis   
 

The entire McAllister family (excepting Francis who was born later) crossed the border from Canada in 1927. They were born in Canada. Their father has crossed previously and had an address of 15107 Bentler. He worked as a metal finisher in the auto factory. The family house at 15107 Bentler is gone.

 



Basketball 1935

R Club 1935

Wilfred was very active at Redford in clubs and sports before his graduation in June 1937. He attended Wayne State for 2 years then enlisted in the Army Air Corps July 23, 1941, 5’7” 149 lbs. 

 

April 5, 1944 he was the pilot of B-24 'Craven Raven' #42-52103 flying out of Italy headed for Ploesti. A ring of refineries around Ploesti supplied a larger portion of gasoline and high-octane aviation fuel for Germany. The Allies were finally able to mount sustained attacks on Ploesti when airbases in Italy became available in April 1944. The 15^th Air Force started the offensive April 5^th when it dispatched 235 B-17s and B-24s to Ploesti.



Possibly Craven Raven viewfrom German Gun Camera

The 451^st formation was to be comprised of eight planes each from 724^th and 725^th Squadrons and nine planes each from the 726^th and 727^th Squadrons. The 727^th was to form the third flight of the First Attack Unit with a lead box of four B-24s. Flying off the left wing of the second box was Craven Raven flown by Lt. Wilfred McAllister. The formation crossed into Yugoslavia and so far, so good. Then one of the pilots forming the box realized two of the planes behind him had turned from home and only Craven Raven remained behind him and they were falling further behind. German pilots had shot down all four B-24s in the low flight in less than 3 minutes. McAllisters plane exploded before he could escape with the crew who had bailed.

 

The legacy of the American air war in Romania is still with us into the 21^st Century as more than 80 flyers who perished in the raid and related missions remain unrecovered. Efforts are ongoing to identify, exhume and repatriate their remains. Wilfred was designated as Died Non Battle. He is buried with S Sgt Robert J. Wood, Killed in Action; I don’t know why there is a difference. The two crewmen were reburied in Arlington Feb 22, 1950. The grave is next to that of Wilfred’s brother, Melvin.

 

Major Karl Rammelt led German Attack