World War II Honoree

Walter Adams Dansby

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Amherstdale, West Virginia

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS ON 20 FEBRUARY 1942 AT FORT BENJAMIN HARRISON NEAR INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR SALINA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED VIA AFRICA TO THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATRE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XX BOMBER COMMAND, 58TH BOMB WING, 468TH BOMBARDMENT 'GENERAL BILLY MITCHELL' GROUP, 794TH BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT KHARAGPUR AIRFIELD IN THE BENGAL PROVINCE OF INDIA. AS PART OF OPERATION MATTERHORN TO BOMB JAPAN, HIS B-29 AIRCRAFT FLEW OVER THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAIN RANGE AND LOGISTICALLY STAGED A BOMBING MISSION THROUGH PENGSHAN AIRFIELD (A-7) NEAR CHENGDU, CHINA. ON 20 AUGUST 1944, HE FLEW AS THE RADIO OPERATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'CALAMITY SUE' (SERIAL #42-6368). IT WAS ONE OF 75 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE IMPERIAL IRON AND STEEL WORKS AT YAWATA, JAPAN. WHILE OVER THE TARGET AREA, THE GROUP FORMATION WAS ATTACKED BY A BAND OF KAWASAKI KI-45 'NICK' FIGHTER PLANES. HIS AIRCRAFT WAS HIT WITH DEBRIS FROM THE EXPLOSION OF ANOTHER B-29 WHICH HAD BEEN RAMMED BY ONE OF THE JAPANESE FIGHTER PLANES. HE MANAGED TO BAIL OUT BEFORE HIS BOMBER CRASHED AND BURNED IN A FOREST WITHIN FUKUOKA PREFECTURE ON KYUSHU ISLAND, JAPAN. HE WAS CAPTURED AND SENT TO THE OMORI PRISONER OF WAR CAMP AT GENERAL DEFENSE HEADQUARTERS IN TOKYO. RELEASED ON 21 NOVEMBER 1945.