Allen, Pvt. Byron (Died 1944)

ALLEN, KIDD

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 9/26/2009 at 15:19:42

PVT. BYRON ALLEN OF AKRON KILLED
Parents Notified By War Department

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Allen of Akron received word Tuesday evening from the War Department that their son, Private First Class Byron K. Allen, an aerial gunner and a combat photographer, had been killed in England, Sunday, July 5, 1944.

Private Allen was a graduate of the Akron public schools and entered the Army Air Forces November 13, 1942. He attended photography school at Lowry Field, Colo., and was then sent to Culver City, California, where he was assigned to the picture unit of the Army Air Forces. In November 1943, he went to England and served with a troop carrying glider unit.

~Transcriber Note: In 1944, July 5 was not on a Sunday. I found another documentation that states this soldier was killed on 7-06-1944 in England and the 6th was not a Sunday either. See below another news article about his death and the day he died.
His tombstone photo in the UK states that he died 05 Jul 1944.
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LeMars Globe-Post
July 24, 1944

AKRON CAMERA-MAN LOSES LIFE
Killed In Action July 5 in England After Being Cited for Work

Akron Register-Tribune: The entire community was grieved and saddened by the shocking news that came to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest L. Allen of this city, Tuesday afternoon of the death of their son, Pvt. Byron K. Allen, while serving as an aerial gunner and combat photographer, with the U. S. 9th Air force in the European theater. The sad news came in the shape of a telegram from the War Department at Washington D.C., directed to his mother, which read as follows:

Washington D.C., July 18, 1944
Mrs. Emma N. Allen:
The Secretary of War desires me to express his deep regret that your son, Private Byron K. Allen, was killed in action on five July in England. Letter following. ULIO, The Adjutant General

(Last Monday The Globe-Post printed a story from the 9th air force command, telling of Pfc. Allen’s work as an aerial gunner and combat photographer.)

Mr. and Mrs. Allen have the deep and profound sympathy of the community in the great sorrow that has come to them in the loss of their son. He was one of Akron’s finest young men. During his youth he was a regular attendant at the Baptist church and Sunday school and he completed the course in the Akron public school, graduating with the Class of 1942. Of clean, upright character, studious and sincere of purpose, he had made a success of all his efforts in the brief span of life allotted to him. He enlisted in the service of his country in an unusual, interesting and important branch, aerial photography, and he was making good at that when so suddenly called upon to make the supreme sacrifice for his country and in the great allied cause. His death will add another gold star to the list on Akron’s honor roll. A little later on this community will honor Pvt. Byron Allen at a memorial service to be held in the Baptist church.