World War II Honoree

Raymond J. Morin

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Bristol County, Massachusetts

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS ON 8 JULY 1942 AT SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. AFTER BASIC MILITARY TRAINING, HE ATTENDED AERIAL GUNNERY (SPECIALTY CODE: 611) AND RADIO OPERATOR (SPECIALTY CODE: 757) SCHOOLS. HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ASSIGNED TO THE 322ND BOMBARDMENT GROUP (MEDIUM), 449TH BOMB SQUADRON, WHICH WAS ACTIVATED ON 17 JULY 1942 AT MACDILL FIELD, FLORIDA. THE 322ND BOMB GROUP WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE MARTIN TWIN-ENGINE B-26 MARAUDER MEDIUM BOMBER AND MOVED TO THE NEARBY SATELLITE INSTALLATION OF DRANE FIELD, FLORIDA IN LATE SEPTEMBER 1942. HE DEPLOYED WITH THE 449TH BOMB SQUADRON AIRCRAFT TO THE EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS VIA THE SOUTHERN FERRY ROUTE FROM FLORIDA THROUGH TRINIDAD, BRAZIL, DAKAR AND MARRAKECH, WITH THE LAST B-26 AIRCREW ARRIVING IN ROYAL AIR FORCE BURY ST. EDMUNDS (ROYAL AIR FORCE ROUGHAM) IN SUFFOLK, ENGLAND ON THE 29TH OF MAY 1943. ON 12 JUNE 1943, HE MOVED WITH THE UNIT TO ROYAL AIR FORCE ANDREWS FIELD (U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #485) IN ESSEX, ENGLAND. ON 12 AUGUST 1944, HE FLEW AS A RADIO OPERATOR AND AERIAL GUNNER ABOARD A B-26B BOMBER, NICKNAMED 'WINNIE DEE II' TAIL #41-31741, FUSELAGE CODE: PN-N, ON A MISSION TO BOMBARD ENEMY FORCES AT FLERS, FRANCE. ON THE INBOUND LEG TO THE TARGET AREA, HIS B-26 MARAUDER WAS HIT WITH GERMAN ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY, AND CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF THE VILLAGE OF SAINT PIERRE DU REGARD, APPROXIMATELY 12 KILOMETERS FROM FLERS. ALL 5 AIRCREW MEMBERS WERE DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION.