World War II Honoree

Claude Weaver III

Hometown

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Honored By

A Grateful American

AMERICAN CITIZEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN, HELD THE RANK OF PILOT OFFICER AND SERVED AS A PILOT IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE. ENLISTED ON FEBRUARY 13, 1941 AT WINDSOR, ONTARIO. EARNED HIS PILOT'S FLYING BADGE AT NO. 8 SERVICE FLYING TRAINING SCHOOL, MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK ON OCTOBER 10, 1941. SHOT DOWN OVER SICILY WHILE ATTACHED TO NO. 185 SQUADRON, ROYAL AIR FORCE AND TAKEN PRISONER ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1942. ESCAPED FROM HIS PRISONER OF WAR CAMP AND WALKED TO FREEDOM. INVESTED WITH THE BRITISH DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL BY KING GEORGE VI AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE ON NOVEMBER 30, 1943. DESIGNATED AN AIR COMBAT FIGHTER ACE WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF 10.5 ENEMY AIRCRAFT. KILLED IN ACTION AT THE AGE OF 19 WHILE SERVING WITH NO. 403 'WOLF' SQUADRON, ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE (FIGHTER COMMAND) WHEN HIS SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK. IX (MA642) WAS ATTACKED BY A LUFTWAFFE FOCKE-WULF FW 190 AND CRASHED NEAR AMIENS, FRANCE ON JANUARY 28, 1944. POSTHUMOUSLY AWARDED THE BRITISH DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS AND BAR TO THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING MEDAL. BURIED AT MEHARICOURT COMMUNAL CEMETERY, MEHARICOURT, SOMME, FRANCE.