Mr. and Mrs. Perry Wall of Wilmore received a letter Wednesday of this week from Mr. and Mrs. B. C. Barron, now of Millerton, Iowa, telling of the death of their youngest son, Lieut. T. Barron. The following telegram was received on July 17 by Lieut. Barron's wife, who lives in Texas: "Report now received from the German government through the International Red Cross states that your husband, Lt. Louis T. Barron, who was previously reported missing June 26, was killed in action June 26 in the European area. The Secretary of War shares your grief and extends his deepest sympathy. Letter follows. Ulio, The Adjutant General."

"Lieut. Barron enlisted in the army air corps in June 1941, and received his training as a bombardier in Texas, where he married about eight months ago. He had been in England several months and presumably was either over Germany or German held territory when he was shot down. We are without further information regarding his death."

Lieut. Barron attended the Wilmore schools graduating from the Wilmore Rural High School five or six years ago. His father was principal of the Wilmore high school for several years, moving with his family to Buffalo, Okla., in 1938. He was a teacher in the schools there several years before moving to Millerton, Iowa, where he is now teaching. Mrs. Barron taught music in Wilmore and was instrumental in establishing the Wilmore school band.

Mr. Barron and his eldest son, James, helped Perry Wall harvest last summer and soon afterward James enlisted in the navy. He was a carpenters mate on the USS Helena which was sunk by the Japs in the New Georgia area two weeks ago and the Barrons have not since received any word concerning him.

Truett, as he was familiarly known in Wilmore, was one of that community's finest young men and was very popular with all who knew him. The sympathy of the entire community goes out to the bereaved parents in the loss of a splendid son. A memorial service for Lieut. Barron will be held in Wilmore next Sunday afternoon, July 25.

A memorial service was held in the First Baptist Church at Alva, Okla., for Lieutenant Louis Truett Barron, son of Mr. and Mrs. B. C. Barron, who was killed in action in the European area on June 26, 1943.

The order of service was as follows:

• Color Guard of the American legion.
  
• Special Detail Air Cadets.
  
• Prelude---- Miss Patsy Ruth Pierce.
  
• Prayer.
  
• Solo, "The Wayfaring Pilgram," Rev. S. B. Nichols, Pastor First Baptist Church, Waynoka.
  
• Scripture Reading and Prayer, Rev. E. Ray Lansdown.
  
• Solo, "One Sweetley Solemn Thought," Mrs. D. W. Pierce.
  
• Talk--- Prof. D. W. Pierce.
  
• Women's Chorus, "Still, Still With Thee," directed by Mrs. Carl Weigand, Solo part by Miss Lois Vernon.
  
• Address -- Dr. M. F. Langley, Pastor Benediction.
  
• The Color Guard of the American Legion consisted of Prof. C. E. Campbell, W. D. Julian, Orvie Kustanborder and N. B. Blumberg.
  
• Escort of Air cadets included John D. Howell, C. E. Miles, C. B. Osborne, H. C. Niebel, E. P. Tucker and P. E. Oberling.

Louis Truett Barron was born at Oktaha, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, January 25, 1921. He was converted at the age of nine, and united with the Baptist Church, Wellston, Okla., 1938. He attended Panhandle Agricultural and Mechanical College, Goodwell, Okla., three semesters, coming from that institution to Northwestern State College, Alva, Okla., where he was a student the Second Semester, 1940, and where he enrolled again, in the fall of that year. Truett enlisted from here as a Private in the Air Corps Sept. 17, 1940, and trained at Brooks Field, and at Chanute Field, graduating July 4, 1941. He re-enlisted as an Air Cadet, and trained at Ellington, Hicks, Randolph, and Kelly Fields, graduating from Kelly Field as Second Lieutenant July 4, 1942. From July to December, 1942, he trained as a fighter pilot on the "Thunderbolt" at Bridgeport, Conn. From there he was transferred to England in January, 1943. He was killed in action in the European area, June 26, 1943. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Lillian Barron, Sour Lake, Texas; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. C. Barron, Millerton, Iowa; and one brother, James V. Barron, Carpenters' Mate, some place in the Pacific.

The relatives were all present except the brother James. Also three sisters of Mr. Barron, two from Iowa, Mrs. Louanna Fuller of Waynoka, Okla. Also a sister of Mrs. Barron, Mrs. Bertha Newmeyer of Southgate, Calif.

The church was filled with friends of Truett and the Barron family from Alva. Also a delegation attended from Buffalo where Mr. Barron taught in the High School.

Those present from Wilmore where Truett attended high school while his father was H. S. Superintendent here were Rev. E. C. Wood, Mr. and Mrs. Perry Wall, Miss Stella York, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Barber and Mr. and Mrs. Donald Waters.

Name: Louis T: Barron
Birth Year: 1921
Race: White, citizen
Nativity State or Country: Oklahoma
State: Oklahoma
County or City: Harper
Enlistment Date: 15 Nov 1941
Enlistment State: Texas
Enlistment City: Ellington Field, Houston
Branch: Air Corps
Branch Code: Air Corps
Grade: Private First Class
Grade Code: Private First Class
Component: Regular Army
Source: Enlisted Man, Regular Army, within 3 months of Discharge.
Education: 2 years of college
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 71"
Weight: 144 lbs.
Source Information: National Archives and Records Administration.
U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946.

Date: 430419 (19 April 1943).   Aircraft type: P-47C.   Serial Number: 41-6237.   Squadron: 61FS.   Group: 56FG.   Home Base: 123.   AF: 8.   Action: CBL (Crashed Belly Landing).   D: 4.   Pilot: Barron, Louis T.   Country: England.   Location: Goxhill/Stra. 345. -- April 1943 USAAF Overseas Accident Reports . (Note the date; this was a separate crash from the one in which Lt. Barron was killed.)

P-47 Database The P-47C-2-RE aircraft Louis T. Barron crash landed on April 19, 1943, serial # 41-6237, was named "The Idaho Spud". (Web page is in French.)

USAF Incident and Accident Personnel List, B-BENJ Louis T. Barron is listed.

USAAF/USAF Aircraft Accidents in the United Kingdom and Ireland - April 1943 430419. BARRON, LOUIS T.   P-47C.   41-6237.   GOXHILL, UK.   56

A search for the Missing Air Crew Report for Louis T. Barron at www.armyairforces.com by date, 06/26/1943, reveals that five P-47's from Fighter Group 56 crashed that day, but no MACR numbers or serial numbers are given. Apparently no MACR was filed for them.

Zemke's Wolfpack: The 56th Fighter Group in World War II by William Ness, ISBN: 1125974095. "From Powells.com: William N. Hess has provided a very thorough history of the 56th Fighter Group, and his excellent text is supplemented with many photographs. Led by Colonel Hubert "Hub" Zemke, the 56th FG shot down more German aircraft than any other group in the 8th Air Force."

56th Fighter Group Gallery The "Little Friends" web site by Peter Randall.

56th Fighter Group of US 8th Army Air Force

56th Fighter Group: The Wolfpack

Google Search: "61st Fighter Squadron" +"56th Fighter Group"

Abbeville Kids "Ask any World War II veteran of the American Eighth Air Force or the Royal Air Force�s Fighter Command about the Abbeville Kids, and he will tell you many stories of the Goering�s elite yellow-nosed fighter unit."

Name:   Laurent Viton
Email:   D010844@aol.com
Date:   2006-08-14

Comments:   I'm doing extensive research on RAF and USAAF losses in my area, Normandy, during World War 2. My goal is a book to honour their sacrifice for freedom here. I would like very much tracing relatives of Lt Louis T. Barron who was killed in action June 26, 1943 flying with the 56th FG. I was shown the crash-site in the village of Landes Vieilles et Neuves (south Dieppe) and was given several .50 bullets from his P-47. Any contact is most welcome. Thank you.

Laurent Viton
La Poste
76110 Goderville - FRANCE

(Posted in the Comanche County, Kansas: History & Genealogy Guest Book, 14 Aug 06.)

Dear Mr. Ferrin,

Thanks for your answer and adding my post to your well documented page about Louis T. Barron.

I have no picture of the crash-site but next time I'll go there I'll take some for your web-site.

I only have a copy of his French death report as he was buried locally on June 27, 1943 (as the fight occurred late in the evening of the 26th). That death report also gives the plane's serial number, which was 16376 (as read off the plane's tail), a very interesting detail because, as you know, there was no MACR for the loss of Lt. L. Barron and his P-47.

An odd detail is that a witness (the owner of the farm where the plane crashed) I met two years ago was able to recall the pilot's name, the date of the crash and even the type of airplane (a Thunderbolt, as told to him by German soldiers) ... so many years after the event.

Who knows, maybe someone related to Louis T. Barron will read this message and could add information?

Warmest regards from Normandy,

Laurent Viton

Laurent Viton's E-mail:   D010844@aol.com

Map of Landes Vieilles et Neuves in France   Google translation of a French web page.

This page was created 27 March 2004 and last updated 17 August 2006.