Darrell Robins Lindsey (December 30, 1919 - August 9, 1944) is a pilot of the US Army Air Force bomber during World War II , posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and Purple Heart .
| Darrell Robins Lindsay | ||||
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| Darrell Robins Lindsey | ||||
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| Date of Birth | December 30, 1919 | |||
| Place of Birth | ||||
| Date of death | August 9, 1944 (24 years old) | |||
| Place of death | ||||
| Affiliation |  USA | |||
| Type of army | aviation | |||
| Years of service | 1942-1944 | |||
| Rank |  US Air Force Captain | |||
| Battles / wars | World War II ( West European Theater of War ):
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| Awards and prizes |
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Content
Service
In August 1942 he graduated from a flight school with the rank of second lieutenant .
Since September 1943, in the 585th bomber squadron of the 394th bomber group of the 9th US Air Force , since December - the captain, commander of the B-26 bomber.
On March 11, 1944, a 394th bomber group was sent to England and began to bombard bridges, airfields and railways in France in preparation for Operation Overlord .
On Day D, the group attacked the Germans' positions in Cherbourg-Octeville , then supported the Allied forces in Normandy by bombing the German communications.
Feat
On August 9, 1944, Captain Lindsay made his 45th sortie as a leader of a group of 30 B-26 bombers, with the goal of destroying the railway bridge across the Seine in Pontauz district north of Paris. The bridge remained the last active bridge over the Seine and was seriously protected by German air defense .
Lindsey's plane was severely damaged, the right wing and engine engulfed in fire. Lindsey held the plane, allowing the rest of the crew to parachute, but did not have time - there was a fuel tank explosion.
On May 30, 1945, Captain Lindsay was awarded the Medal of Honor. The award was presented to his wife, Evelyn Lindsay, on August 9, 1945.
Memory
In November 1946, Lindsay was named after the military camp at the U.S. Air Force Base in Wiesbaden , Germany. A granite monument is installed on the territory of the air base. In 1993, the airbase was closed, the monument was moved to the city of Jefferson, Iowa, where Darrell Lindsay was born.
Rewards
Posthumously awarded:
- Medal of Honor
- Purple Heart Medal