Frank N. Daur, Jr. was born in New York February 16, 1924. His parents were Frank N. Daur, Sr. , a carpenter born in New Jersey, and Viola Daur, born in New York. He had a younger sister Jean. They resided at 8 Fernwood Avenue and were members of Christ Church. Frank was a graduate of Rye High School, class of 1942, where as an undergraduate he was a member of the track team. In civilian life he was employed as a clerk on construction projects. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
Service Time: Frank Jr. enlisted in the U. S. Air Corps on November 14, 1942. He graduated the Army Air Forces bombardier school at Kirtland Field, Albuquerque, N. M. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and awarded the silver wings of the aerial bombardier, supplementing previously won aerial gunners insignia.
Prior to his successful completion of eighteen weeks of flight and combat training in high level precision bombing and navigation at Kirtland Field, Lieut. Daur was stationed at Kingman, Arizona, where he graduated from the Army Air Forces flexible gunnery school as an aerial gunner. Now ready for active duty, He was assigned to the 15th Air Force, 456th Bomb Group Heavy, 744th Bombardment Squadron.
The 456th operated
B-24 Liberator aircraft based in Storrara Air Field, Italy. Frank was a bombardier and achieved the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was engaged in very long range strategic bombardment missions against enemy strategic targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and the Balkans. His Squadron Bombed aircraft factories, assembly plants, oil refineries, storage areas, marshaling yards, airdromes, and other objectives until the German Capitulation in May 1945.
After August 1944 the 456th did not lose another aircraft to fighter defenses, but losses continued to accumulate from anti-aircraft fire. In the remaining nine months of operations 43 bombers were lost, most to flak.
Three or more bombers were lost on five missions, including November 11, when three planes crashed into the Adriatic after being recalled from a mission north to target Lynz Main. An Air Sea rescue provided no results.
Frank was killed in action on November 11, 1944 when his B-24 crashed into the sea off the eastern coast of Italy. He was 20 years old.
Frank was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart Medal and the Air Medal.
His body was never recovered and he is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial.
Comments FRANK DAUR Review by Everett Ferris on May 20, 2013 Frank was my cousin and you do have the facts correct on his death something I found out about a couple of years ago.The family never knew the cause of his death until my research uncovered the reason. Franks mother Violas maiden name was Ferris, my aunt.
Frank N. Daur, Jr. , Wins Wings as 2nd Lieutenant Bombardier
Kirtland Field, Albuquerque, N. M Aviation cadet Frank- N. Daur, Jr. of Rye, a recent graduate of the Army Air Forces bombardier school here has been commissioned a second lieutenant and awarded the silver wings of the aerial bombardier, supplementing previously won aerial gunners insignia. Lieut. Daur is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank N. Daur of 8 Fernwood Avenue. He is a graduate of Rye High School, class of 1942, where as an undergraduate he was a member of the track team. In civilian life he was employed as a clerk on construction projects. Prior to his successful completion of eighteen weeks of flight and combat training in high level precision bombing and navigation at Kirtland Field, Lieut. Daur was stationed at Kingman, Arizona, where he graduated from the Army Air Forces flexible gunnery school as an aerial gunner. Now ready for active duty, his destination is not disclosed.
Friday, May 5, 1944 THE RYE CHRONICLE PAGE SEVEN
Lt. Frank N. Daur Missing in Action
Second Lieut. Frank N. Daur, Jr. , U. S. Air Force, is reported missing in Italy. An aerial bombardier, he failed to return to his base in Italy after a mission somewhere in the Mediterranean, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank N. Daur, Sr. , 8 Fern wood Avenue, have been officially advised by the War Department in Washington. Lieut, Daur is twenty years old and was assigned to overseas duty about September 1. He was associated with his father in the building business before entering the service. He is a graduate of Milton School and Rye High School.
RYE, NEW YORK FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1944
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