AIR COMMANDO Byrne, Frank S.,Jr

[John Robertson]

• SURNAME

Byrne ​

• FORENAME

Frank S.,Jr ​

• UNIT

1 AC Group (5 Fighter Squadron)​

• RANK

First Lieutenant ​

• NUMBER

0-692133 ​

• DATE OF DEATH

19th February 1945​

• AGE

22​

• GRAVESITE

Mount St Mary Cemetery, Flushing, Queens County, New York Section 10 Row 42 Grave 54​

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

from Queens County, New York​

born Bayside, Queens, New York, USA​

father Frank Byrne (Police Lieutenant)​

mother Katherine Byrne of 59-01 207th Street, New York​

graduated Sacred Heart School​

attending St. John's University​

11.1942 enlisted as Air Cadet​

01.10.1943 received Commission & Wings, Eagle Pass, Texas​

KIA Burma on 52nd Mission​

date of death is probably date of internment​

"From information received from Burmese natives who were eye witnesses," Capt. Wilkins wrote, "Frank crash-landed his airplane at Thazi, Burma on Feb, 19, 1945. In landing he suffered a broken leg and subsequently was captured by Japanese troops, who took him to Meiktila. ​

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Native villagers are definitely certain that he died on Feb, 27 but are not sure whether he was executed or died of injuries sustained in the crash.​

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Frank's body was found at Meiktila a short time later by an Allied patrol. Funeral services were conducted by a Roman Catholic chaplain of the British Army, and your son was buried with full miltary honors there."​

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The Tablet, Brooklyn, New York. 15th December 1945​