Donald Melvin Chamberlain (1909 - 1948)

Born 17 Mar 1909 in Dane, Major, Oklahoma, United States

Died 17 Jul 1948 at age 39 in Honshū, Japan

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Biography

Donald Chamberlain was awarded the Purple Heart.

Donald Chamberlain was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States).

Donald Chamberlain was awarded the Air Medal.

Staff Sergeant Donald Chamberlain served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started: 31 Mar 1939
Unit(s): 772nd Squadron, 463rd Group, Fifteenth Air Force
Service ended: May 1945

Donald was born 17 March 1909 in Dane Oklahoma. He was the son of Augustas Chamberlain and Ida Warren.

He married Jean Rovella Tripp in Boise, Idaho on 2 May 1942.^[1] They were divorced in May 1944.^[2]

Donald was the a waist gunner on the B-24 Liberator bomber, Earthquake McGoon - 41-24235-C, participating in Operation Tidal Wave the low-level attack on the Romanian oil refineries at Ploesti on 1 August 1943. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the mission.

Donald was honorably discharged in 1945 after serving with the Army Air Corp in Europe. He reenlisted in April 1947, eventually being stationed in Japan with the Occupation Forces

He passed away 17 July 1948 at Tackikawa AFB on Honshu Island in Japan. He accidentally drowned.^[3][4]

Find A Grave: Memorial #64365484

• 1910 - Dane, Major, Oklahoma, United States.^[5]
• 1920 - Major, Oklahoma, United States.^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Idaho State Archives and Historical Society; Boise, Idaho; Idaho, County Marriage Records. Ancestry.com. Idaho, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1864-1967 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017. Ancestry Record 61480 #32197
2. ↑ In District Court, The Ruskin Leader, Ruskin, Nebraska, 25 May 1944, Thu • Page 2
3. ↑ Mrs. Chamberlain Hears of The Death of Her Son, Superior Weekly Journal, Superior, Nebraska, 02 Sep 1948, Thu • Page 5
4. ↑ Funeral Sunday for S-Sgt. Chamberlain, The Superior Express, Superior, Nebraska, 02 Sep 1948, Thu • Page 1
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLQJ-Z7B : accessed 17 April 2022), Donald M Chamberlain in household of Augustus M Chamberlain, Dane, Major, Oklahoma, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 172, sheet 3B, family 60, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1262; FHL microfilm 1,375,275.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJ9D-2L9 : 3 February 2021), Donald M Chamberland in entry for Chamberland, 1920.

• National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 00271; Reel: 27. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005. Ancestry Record 8939 #3935464
• Donald Chamberlain Earns Purple Heart, Superior Weekly Journal, Superior, Nebraska, 10 Jun 1943, Thu • Page 1
• Is Decorated For Ploesti Raid, Superior Weekly Journal, Superior, Nebraska, 11 Nov 1943, Thu • Page 1
• Men of War, The Hastings Daily Tribune, Hastings, Nebraska, 17 Nov 1943, Wed • Page 3
• Receive Medals For Action Over Europe, Beatrice Daily Sun, Beatrice, Nebraska, 30 Nov 1943, Tue • Page 8
• Sgt. Chamberlain Sends Home Medals, The Superior Express, Superior, Nebraska, 06 Jan 1944, Thu • Page 1
• National Archives at Washington DC; Washington DC, USA; Applications for Headstones for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1941; NAID: A1, 2110-C; Record Group Number: 92; Record Group Title: Records of the Office of the Quartermaster General. Ancestry.com. U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Ancestry Record 2375 #695227