Plum Creek Flyer Receives His Wings.
Leroy L. Adams, son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Adams of Plum Creek Twp., graduated from Advanced Army Flight School at Victorville, Calif., March 6th. He received his Bombardier Wings and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant.
Leroy entered the Army Air Force in June, 1942. He took his training at Santa Ana, Santa Maria and Victorville, all in California. Mrs. Adams has made her home in Los Angeles since September of this year, where she is employed as secretary in the Federal Reserve Bank.
Garmon Adams, who is in the U. S. Army Ordnance Regiment was transferred from North Carolina, last week to Pomona, Calif. His battalion is station at Pamona Ordnance. He is now only 50 miles from his brother and was able to attend his graduation Saturday at Victorville.
Source: The Algona Upper Des Moines, Thursday, March 11, 1943
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Adams received a cablegram Saturday from their two sons, Lt. Leroy Adams and Pfc. Garmon Adams, who are both stationed somewhere in England, that they had met each other on Tuesday, Feb. 8. Leroy has been in the air corps for about two years and Garmon has been in the army ordnance department for a year and a half. They both have been overseas for five months. The two boys arranged the meeting through the Red Cross.
Source: Algona Upper Des Moines, February 15, 1944
LT. LEROY ADAMS OF ALGONA REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION
A governmental message to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Adams of Algona, informed them that their son, Lt. Leroy Adams, was missing in action. A cablegram to his wife, Mrs. Leroy Adams of Ames, but who has been visiting in Algona with his parents, stated that his plane had been shot down somewhere in Belgium, and five of six of the crew were seen to bale out and their parachutes opened. He was bombardier on a B-26 Marauder, stationed somewhere in England.
Lt. Adams enlisted in the army air corps in April of 1942. He received part of his training at Santa Ana, California; and was graduated with the wings of a bombardier at Victorsville, California. He was graduated as a navigator from Carlsbad, N.M., later received advanced training at Bardsdale Field, at Shreveport, Louisiana.
Lt. Adams is a grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Will Hoag of Humboldt.
Source: Humboldt Republican, May 26, 1944
Mrs. Leroy Adams returned to Ames Friday after spending some time at the home of her husband’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Adams. Mrs. Adams plans to live with her parents at Ames and resume her studies at Iowa State College in her junior year. Her husband, who is a lieutenant, has been reported missing in action over Belgium since May 7th.
Source: Algona Upper Des Moines, June 6, 1944
Further Details As to Lt. Adams Missing in Action Over France
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Adams, Plum Creek township, are in receipt of further details as to their son’s disappearance in action through a letter from army headquarters written to his wife at Ames. In part the letter read:
“Further information has been received indicating that First Lieutenant Leroy L. Adams was a crew member of a B-26 (marauder) which departed on a bombardment mission to Mesieres, France, on May 7. Full details are not available but the report indicates that during the mission, while returning from the target, our planes were attacked by enemy fighter craft and in the ensuing engagement your husband’s plane was seen to sustain damage and to fall toward the earth. The report further states that this occurred at about 10 a.m. in the vicinity of Charleroi, France, and three parachutes were seen to leave the damaged craft. The facts obtained from crews returning from this mission constitutes all of the information presently available.”
This news conflicts with previous reports stating five parachutes opened below the plane and is less encouraging. Charleroi appears to be near the border between France and Belgium.
Lt. Adam’s promotion to first lieutenant came through a few days after he was reported missing and hence did not know of it. His brother, Garmon Adams, is in England at last report.
Source: Algona Upper Des Moines, June 27, 1944
German Prisoner
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Adams of Algona have been notified through the International Red Cross that their son, Lieut. Leroy Adams is a prisoner of war of the German government. He was a bombardier navigator on a B-26 marauder plane, which crashed over Charleroi, France, May 7, during combat with the enemy. The plane was returned from a target at Messiere, France, when attacked. Lt. Adams is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Hoag of Humboldt.
Source: Humboldt Republican, June 30, 1944
Lt. Leroy Adams Return From Nazi P. W. Camp
First Lt. Leroy Adams called his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Adams, Tuesday night from Ames and said he was well and feeling fine. He was expected home from Ames as soon as he could make connections here.
Lt. Adams had been a prisoner of war in Germany for a year and was liberated April 29. Prior to his capture he had been a bombardier. He returned to New York on a liberty ship Saturday during the heavy fog and was then sent to Jefferson Barracks, Mo., for check up and then to home.
Source: The Algona Upper Des Moines, Thursday, June 7, 1945 (photo included)
Leroy Lynn Adams was born Mar. 21, 1917 to Roy E. and Lenore Hoag Adams. He died Feb. 16, 2000 and is buried in Cedar Memorial Park, Cedar Rapids, IA.
Lt. Adams served in World War II with the U.S. Army Air Corps as a bombardier on a B-26 and was shot down over Belgium and became a POW of the Germans. He was awarded the Air Medal with Silver Cluster, Purple Heart and European Theater of Operations ribbon with two stars.
Source: ancestry.com
