Cited by De Gaulle
Four Essex County pilots were among a group of airmen in the Mediterranean theater to be
cited by General Charles de Gaulle and the Provisional French Government, according to a
release from a 12th Army Air Force B-26 Marauder bomber group.
Commended for "outstanding achievement during April, May and June when the 12th AAF
flew important missions over Italy," the pilots are 1st Lt. James Ayre of Bloomfield; 1st Lt.
Robert Borden, Jr. of Montclair; 1st Lt. Richard Dodelin of Glen Ridge; and Capt. David
Hammond of 37 Upland Way, Verona. They participated in raids in direct support of the
French forces.
During the three months when his group flew 2,000 sorties and dropped over 3,000 tons of
bombs with a loss of only six planes, Capt. Hammond was a flight leader. He enlisted in the
Army in December, 1941, and has been overseas since May.
Newark Evening News
September 27, 1944
Essex Pilot Listed As Missing in Italy
Capt. David Q. Hammond Jr., Marauder pilot who received a citation from Gen. De Gaulle
last Fall, has been reported missing in action over Italy since November 7, according to
word received by his wife, Mrs. Sarah Underwood Hammond of 37 Upland Way, Verona.
Capt. Hammond enlisted in the AAF in December, 1941, and had been overseas the last
eight months. Operations officer of his squadron, he had completed 35 missions and held
the Air Medal. He was one of a group of airmen cited by Gen. De Gaulle and the Provisional
French Government last September for "outstanding achievement" in missions over Italy.
A graduate of Montclair Academy, Capt. Hammond was employed by a New York insurance
company before entering service. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hammond, Sr.,formerly of
East Orange, who now live in Stockbridge, Mass. His brother-in-law, 1st Lt. Walter B.
Underwood Jr., AAF pilot, is home on leave from India.
Newark Evening News
December 16, 1944
Four Essex County pilots were among a group of airmen in the Mediterranean theater to be
cited by General Charles de Gaulle and the Provisional French Government, according to a
release from a 12th Army Air Force B-26 Marauder bomber group.
Commended for "outstanding achievement during April, May and June when the 12th AAF
flew important missions over Italy," the pilots are 1st Lt. James Ayre of Bloomfield; 1st Lt.
Robert Borden, Jr. of Montclair; 1st Lt. Richard Dodelin of Glen Ridge; and Capt. David
Hammond of 37 Upland Way, Verona. They participated in raids in direct support of the
French forces.
During the three months when his group flew 2,000 sorties and dropped over 3,000 tons of
bombs with a loss of only six planes, Capt. Hammond was a flight leader. He enlisted in the
Army in December, 1941, and has been overseas since May.
Newark Evening News
September 27, 1944
Essex Pilot Listed As Missing in Italy
Capt. David Q. Hammond Jr., Marauder pilot who received a citation from Gen. De Gaulle
last Fall, has been reported missing in action over Italy since November 7, according to
word received by his wife, Mrs. Sarah Underwood Hammond of 37 Upland Way, Verona.
Capt. Hammond enlisted in the AAF in December, 1941, and had been overseas the last
eight months. Operations officer of his squadron, he had completed 35 missions and held
the Air Medal. He was one of a group of airmen cited by Gen. De Gaulle and the Provisional
French Government last September for "outstanding achievement" in missions over Italy.
A graduate of Montclair Academy, Capt. Hammond was employed by a New York insurance
company before entering service. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hammond, Sr.,formerly of
East Orange, who now live in Stockbridge, Mass. His brother-in-law, 1st Lt. Walter B.
Underwood Jr., AAF pilot, is home on leave from India.
Newark Evening News
December 16, 1944
David Q. Hammond, Jr.
ID: O-791206
Entered the Service From: New Jersey
Rank: Captain
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 444th
Bomber Squadron, 320th Bomber Group,
Medium
Died: Wednesday, November 08, 1944
Buried at: Florence American Cemetery
Location: Via Cassia, Italy
Plot: F Row: 14 Grave: 8
Awards: Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf
Clusters, Purple Heart
ID: O-791206
Entered the Service From: New Jersey
Rank: Captain
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 444th
Bomber Squadron, 320th Bomber Group,
Medium
Died: Wednesday, November 08, 1944
Buried at: Florence American Cemetery
Location: Via Cassia, Italy
Plot: F Row: 14 Grave: 8
Awards: Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf
Clusters, Purple Heart
Webpage that describes the crash
of Captain Hammond's Plane the
Cindy II
of Captain Hammond's Plane the
Cindy II
| From The Class of 1938 Montclair Academy Yearbook |
| The goal of this project is to preserve the memory of these heroes and not let their stories be lost to history. Their sacrifices should be honored and their histories should be available to school children and adults to learn about the heroic Verona residents who came before them. It is vital that friends and family of these heroes be found, so that they may share pictures, service records, and other information to add to these stories. If you are a family member or friend of one of these heroes, or you know someone who is or may have additional information, please contact: Robert Caruso Heritage Preservation Associates Verona, New Jersey veronaheroes@heritagepreservation.us |
| This Website is maintained by Heritage Preservation Associates |
| Verona Hero |
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Captain David Q. Hammond
| Verona Residence: 37 Upland Way |
