MCCLANAHAN, John Howard

Name: John Howard MCCLANAHAN

Born 11 July 1920

Birthplace: Covington, Kentucky

Age at arrival in Buchenwald: 24

Died  31 May 1977 in Batesville, Indiana, age 56

Service: USAAF

Service ID: 15084076

Service Rank: Staff Sergeant

Duties: Radioman

Air Group: 8th Air Force, 384th Bomb Group, 544th Bomb Squadron

Airbase: Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire UK

Aircraft: B-17G 42-97188

Date shot down: 14 June 1944

Fate of crew: 3 KIA, 3 captured on landing, 3 evaded; of those, one captured (McClanahan).

Evasion summary:

Date captured: 4 July 1944

Capture summary: Driven to Paris by Desoubrie and Orsini, taken to Hotel Picadilly, stayed for four days before pickup and delivery to Gestapo.

Boxcar Transport: 15-20 August 1944, in boxcar #1 or #2

Buchenwald ID: 78348

Notes on Buchenwald internment: Mastoiditis, pleurisy, surgery performed; too sick to leave with the other airmen. Sent with the other survivors on 28 November 1944.

Transferred from Buchenwald to: Stalag Luft III, West Compound

Kriege ID: 8924

Notes on SLIII internment:

Subsequent transfer to: Stalag XIIID, Nurnberg

Notes on internment: Forced march and boxcar to Stalag VIIA 2-16 April 1945.

Liberation: Liberated from SVIIA on 29 April 1945 by units of the 14th Armored Division from Patton’s Third Army.

Repatriation from ETO:

Discharged:

VA status:

Notes on Post-War period: