AKRON SOLDIER SHOOTING PICTURES WITH BOMBER COMMAND
A. Ninth Air Force Bomber Base—Qualified as an aerial gunner and a combat photographer, Pfc. Byron K. Allen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest L. Allen of Akron, is now serving with a camera unit in the European theater of operations.
Private Allen has made several trips on operational missions in support of our allied troops on the western front. As a combat photographer attached to the Ninth air force A-20 Havoc light bombardment group at this base, Allen swings his camera into position as the bombs are released and then takes pictures of the damage in the target area. His camera, when he returns, contains proof of the success, or failure, of a bombing mission.
He is a member of a crew of five aerial photographers at this base. His commanding officer is Second Lieut. George E. Lindsay, of Lakeside, Cal.
A graduate of the Akron, Ia., public schools, Private Allen entered the United States army air forces Friday, November 13, 1942. He attended photography school at Lowry field, Colo., and was then assigned to the first motion picture unit of the army air forces at Culver City, Cal. In the fall of 1943, he arrived in the European theatre of operations where he served with a troop carrying glider unit.
Prior to his army service, Private Allen had worked as a motion picture projectionist and also had completed training which qualified him as an airplane pilot. He ahs flown since he was 12 years of age, and has made a total of five parachute jumps. In addition, Private Allen has taken his plane on photographic expeditions to Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, Canada, Guatemala, and Mexico.
Now assigned to the first complete American A-20 Havoc group to become operational in this theatre, Private Allen has aided in the completion of an A-20 newsreel which was recently sent to Washington D.C., for final cutting and editing before its release to the theaters of the nation. The newsreel covers every phase of a mission and features several outstanding shots of A-20 bombing targets in France and Belgium.
Other members of Allen’s unit, in addition to Lieut. Lindsay, are Staff Sergeant Arthur E. Mayhew, Bovina Center, N.Y.; Staff Sergeant Lane B. Kemper, Omaha; and Sergeant Robert A. Wolber, Utica, N.Y.
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, July 17, 1944
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.
Source: LeMars Semi-Weekly Sentinel, July 21, 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.
Source: LeMars Globe-Post, July 24, 1944
***Further Research:
Byron Kidd Allen was born July 12, 1924 to Ernest L. and Emma N. Kidd Allen. He died July 5, 1944 and is buried in Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Cambridge, England. He was awarded the Purple Heart.
Source: ancestry.com; abmc.gov
