Arlyn Levern Lones was born on 14 September 1923 at Rader, Tennessee to Ivan Clay Lones and Mary Maxie Burns. He had one brother, James and three sisters, June, Iberia and Brenda.
He died on 1 January 1945
Buried at Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, Greeneville, TN, C, 165
Staff Sergeant
95th Bomber Squadron, 17th Bomber Group, Medium, 12th Air Force
Aircraft B-26 B41 with serial number 42-43308 departed from Dijon Airbase in France on a bombing mission to Kaiserslautern in Germany.
Statement from 2nd Lt Joseph H. Herbert, Air Corps, 37th Bomb Squadron:
I first observed plane no. 68 when fire broke out on the left side of the ship, while the plane was still in the formation. It broke away to the left of the formation in a gradual glide. I saw two men leave the rear of the plane in rapid succession while the plane was at 10,000 feet just after it broke formation. Then seconds later a third man left the rear of the ship at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. Five seconds later a 4th man left the ship. I observed flame in front of this man when he bailed out but I cannot say if his chute was afire or not, or just what was burning. The flame lasted for 3 or 4 seconds and went out, after which time I lost sight of the ship and the 4 men who bailed out. I only observed the chutes of the first two men who bailed out to open. The last two I did not observe.
The plane stayed in a dive until it reached an altitude of about 3000 feet. At this altitude the plane went into a steep dive and spiraled to the ground. At 1300 hours the plane crashed at Fischbach near Pirmasens. A German interrogator mentioned to a crewmember that Sgt Lones was found in the crashed plane but his body was recovered near Alsenborn. After the liberation he received information from Sqd. Personnel in England that Sgt Lones was machine-gunned after arriving on the ground by the Germans. Only S/Sgt Draper and S/Sgt Reesha survived.
Crewmembers
Pilot, 1st Lt Joseph T. Schoeps
Co-Pilot, Major Hugh S. Teitsworth Jr.
Bombardier, 1st Lt Camillo W. Tensi
Navigator,. 2nd Lt Edward J. Purdy
Radio Gunner, S/Sgt Jimmie A. Reesha
Engineer Gunner, S/Sgt Arlyn L. Lones
Armorer Gunner, Pvt Gerald R. Draper
The Greeneville Sun, 29 August 1944
At a 12th AAF B-26 Marauder Base – 20 year old Sergeant Arlyn L. Lonus, son of Mr. and Mrs. I.C. Lones, Rt. 3, Greeneville, Tenn., has completed 15 combat missions over enemy territory with the oldest B-26 medium bomber group in the AAF. Sergeant Lones entered the Air Forces in February, 1943, and after basic training at St. Petersburg, Fla., was sent to the New England Aircraft School at Boston, Mass., where he studied aircraft mechanics. From there he went to Fort Meyers, Fla., where he was initiated into the art of aerial gunnery. He received three months specialized training at Barksdale Field, La., and was sent to North Africa in April, 1944. Sergeant Lones has been on vitally important missions over such targets as Rome, Florence, and in support of the Anzio beachhead. Lones has been through heavy flak barrages during which his ship has been seriously damaged but the plane has always returned safely. Sergeant Lones holds the Good Conduct Medal and the European Theatre ribbon with one star for the Italian campaign.
The Greeneville Sun, 30 November 1944
A 12th B-26 Marauder Base in Corsica – Allyn L. Lones of Route 3, Greeneville, Tenn., has been promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. An engineer gunner, he has served in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations for six months with the AAF’s olders B-26 Marauder group and has flown forty-three combat missions. He is authorized to wear the Distinguished Unit Badge and the European Theater ribbon.
- Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Date of birth: 14 September 1924
- Date of death: 1 January 1945
- County: Greene
- Hometown: Greeneville
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 95th Bomber Squadron, 17th Bomber Group, Medium
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, European Theatre ribbon, Distinguished Unit Badge
- Burial/Memorial Location: Andrew Johnson National Cemetery, Greeneville, Greene County, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar IX, Middle Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Arlyn L. Lones
Image Gallery
Click a thumbnail below to view at full size.
