Eugene F. Cahill (1916 - 1944)

Born 3 Oct 1916 in Colley, Sullivan, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Died 6 Oct 1944 at age 28 in Brandenburg, Germany

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Killed in Action

Biography

SSGT Eugene Cahill was Killed in Action during World War II.

SSGT Eugene Cahill served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started: Oct 11,1940
Unit(s): 42-98016 (B-17)
Service ended: KIA Oct 6,1944

Staff Sargent Eugene Cahill was born in Colley, Pennsylvania, in 1916 to Thomas & Mary (Shovelin) Cahill. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps on October 11, 1940, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He listed himself as single, without dependants when he joined the service, meaning he likely never married or had any children. In the Air Corps, he served as a Radio Operator on 6 different B-17s. The last B-17 that he served on was B-17 42-98016, which had no known nickname. On October 6, 1944, B-17 42-98016, piloted by 2nd Lt. Robert G Funk, was flying in a squadron of 29 planes, when they were reportedly ambushed from above and behind by somewhere from 25-70 enemy planes, while en route to their targeted destination. No aircraft in the group returned to base that day. Of B-17 42-98016's crew of 9 men, 8 were KIA, leaving 2nd Lt. Robert L. Mcnichols (Bombardier) the sole survivor/ POW. Eugene was killed 3 days after his 28th birthday.

Eugene is buried at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial in Nettuno, Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy. He is buried 2 graves away from his little brother, PVT Thomas Anthony Cahill Jr., who was killed in action at Anzio.

The 7 other men from B-17 42-98016 that died October 6, 1944 were;

2nd Lt. George W Curtis Navigator

2nd Lt. William L Davis Co-Pilot

SGT Chester B Foster Tail Gunner

2nd Lt. Robert G Funk Pilot

SGT Burnie B Goldson Jr. Waist Gunner

SGT Delmar A Harmon Ball-Turret Gunner

SGT Douglas R Randolph Top-Turret Gunner

B-17 42-98016 was a part of the 385th Bomb Group, as well as the 548th Bomb Squadron.

The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Brigadier General Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9 October 1943, during which only two out of one hundred B-17s were lost and all of the buildings on the site were damaged or destroyed. They won two Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, awarded to all 4th Bomb Wing Groups, was for accurately dropping their pay load on an aircraft factory at Regensburg, on 17 August 1943 and the Group's second was awarded after leading a difficult long-range mission to destroy an aircraft repair works at Zwickau, south-west Germany, on 12 May 1944.

Eugene participated in the following missions as a Radio Operator;

Mission No. 185 – 17 September – Target Arnheim – 40 aircraft flown.

Eugene was in the Raggedy Ann 42-31395 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 186 – 19 September – Target Kohlenz – 36 aircraft flown.

Eugene was in the Quittin' Time 42-97530 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 189 – 26 September – Target Bremen – 37 aircraft flown. Lundsberg, 42-107035, Reluctant Lady, crashed in Germany, 10 POW, MACR 10204. Lamont, 44-6008, Heavenly Body, ditched in the North Sea, – 2 KIA, 7 rescued.

Eugene was in the Sweet and Lovely 43-38233 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 190 – 27 September – Target Lugwigshaven – 23 a/c flown.

Eugene was in the Hell's Belles 43-37803 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 192 –3 October– Target Giebelstadt–13 a/c flown.

Eugene was in the Hit Parade, Jr. 42-38031 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 194 – 6 October- Target Munster- 29 aircraft flown. Leverett, 42-97275, Roger the Dodger, crashed in Germany, 1 KIA, 9 POW, MACR 9522. Taylor, 42-98010, crashed in Germany, 8 KIA, 1 POW, MACR 9523. Funk, 42-98016, crashed in Germany, 8 KIA, 1 POW, MACR 9524. Kaplan, 43-37548, Lamplight Lil, crashed in Germany, 3 KIA, 6 POW, MACR 9517. Courcelle, 43-38060, Texas Bluebonnet, crashed in Germany, 8 KIA, 1 POW, MACR 9508. Tuley, 43-38217, crashed in Germany, 6 KIA, 3 POW, MACR 9519. Andreas, 43-38430, crashed in Germany, 4 KIA, 5 POW, MACR 9520. Noiseau, 44-6159, West Virginian, crashed in Germany, 7 KIA, 2 POW, MACR 9515. Batty, 44-8143, Roger the Dodger crashed in Germany, 7 KIA, 3 POW, MACR 9516. Jens, 42-102465, Wee Willie Wilber, crashed in Germany, 9 KIA, MACR 9525. Isaacson, 42-97079, Dozy Doats, crashed in Germany, 5 KIA, 4 POW, MACR 9521.

Eugene was in B-17 42-98016 that day and failed to return to base. That was his last mission. 65 men were KIA in this mission, and 36 captured as POWs.

Sources

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56307147/eugene-f-cahill

http://www.385thbga.com/

http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/11091

http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/61157

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQ68-NN5 : 28 July 2019), Eugene F Cahill in household of Thomas A Cahill, Colley Township, Sullivan, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 57-3, sheet 8A, line 31, family 145, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3612.

"United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMFL-H6W : 5 December 2014), Eugene F Cahill, enlisted 11 Oct 1940, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.