World War II Honoree
Killed in World War II
Clarence H. Ballagh
Branch of Service
U.S. Army Air Force
Hometown
Arroyo Grande, California
Honored By
Orville L. Kline
Rank: First Lieutenant. He was aboard a B-17 ‘Flying-Fortress’ Bomber as a passenger, assigned to the 814th Bomber Squadron, 482nd Bomber ‘Pathfinders’ Group, First Bomber Division an element of the U.S. 8th Air Force ‘Mighty Eighth’ Army Air Forces. His unit was based at the Alconbury Royal Air Force Station Location: Huntingdon, England. Tuesday, September 14, 1943 he died in a non-battle training accident, when the pilot and crew departed Alconbury with four passengers on a flight to Turnhouse, Scotland. Due to cloud cover and poor visibility conditions, the Pilot was instrument flying, when the Bomber crashed into Skiddaw Mountain, near Keswick, United Kingdom. Personnel from a Graves Registration Company buried him at the Brookwood American Cemetery Brookwood, England. In the post-war era, this Airman’s family requested that he be buried with Military Honors at the Arroyo Grande Cemetery Arroyo Grande, California. This American Patriot, died in the line of duty.