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WWII U.S. Army Air Corps Second Lieutenant,
97th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force: posthumous
Native Oregonian David Kingsley worked as a Portland firefighter
before entering Army Air Corps service in April 1942. After receiving
his bombardier’s wings in July 1943, Second Lieutenant Kingsley
joined the 97th Bombardment Group, 15th Air Force, stationed in
Italy. On June 23, 1944, Kingsley and his B-17 crew participated
in a mission to destroy the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. While
approaching the target, the aircraft received severe damage from
German defenses. Nonetheless, once the pilot positioned the aircraft
over the target, Bombardier Kingsley successfully dropped his bombs
causing severe damage to vital German installations. In response,
German ME-109 aircraft intensified their attack upon Kingsley's
B-17. Severely damaged, the Flying Fortress lost altitude and lagged
behind the bomb group formation. Both the ball turret gunner and
the tail gunner received severe wounds. Learning of his crewmembers’
injuries,
Kingsley went to administer first aid. Due to the intense flak damage,
the pilot ordered the crew to bailout of the B-17. Kingsley, while
tending to the tail gunner’s wounds, removed his own parachute
and adjusted the harness to fit his injured crewmate. Next, he assisted
both gunners in bailing out as the aircraft ontinued to loose altitude.
The aircraft went down taking Kingsley with it. His body was later
found in the wreckage. David Kingsley was posthumously awarded the
Congressional Medal of Honor in May 1945. He was the only Oregonian
airman of WWII to receive the prestigious award. In 1957, Klamath
Falls dedicated its airport as Kingsley Field in honor of Second
Lieutenant David Kingsley.
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Lt.
David R. Kingsley
