John F. Mahoney was born in 1923, being the first born of Olive Mary and Matthew J Mahoney living in Norfolk, Connecticut where John's father made a living as a brick mason. Over the years the Mahoney family continued to grow. By 1940 John, now 17 years old had six brothers William, Richard, Danial, Malcolm, David, and Wayne; ranging in age from 15 to 2. John had completed his junior year of high school when he left school to help with the family income. He would take a factory job described in his enlistment record as semiskilled in mechanical treatment of metals; rolling, stamping, forging, pressing, etc. On 28 January 1943 John was drafted into the Army assigned serial number 31312836 entering service at Hartford, Connecticut. After basic training and skill assessment John was reassigned into the Army Air Forces with further flexible gunnery training to become an aerial gunner with an added weapons maintenance specialty, yielding Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 748. John was then transferred to Biggs Air Army Field, El Paso, Texas for B-24 Liberator, Combat Crew Training where he was introduced to his combat crew for the first time. John's combat crew is pictured here but unfortunately John is not present as he is behind the camera here taking this crew photo. Fortunately a Belgian researcher and memorial contributor John Dewasme john dewasme has provided an individual photo of S/Sgt. Mahoney. The crew as pictured is as follows: Charles Riddle Crew; Standing (L-R): 2nd Lt John Bryant (B), 2nd Lt. Rob Lemon (CP), 2n Lt Ray Hargis (N) Charles Riddle (P). Kneeling (L-R): S/Sgt Robert Varty (RO), Sgt Vincent McHugh (G), Sgt Harold White (BTG), Sgt Charles Coffman (LWG), Sgt Harry Kolinski(ETTG). After 5 months of training at Biggs AAFld the crew was ready for combat. Orders were issued for overseas crew deployment and delivery of a new B-24 Liberator to the European Theater of Operation (ETO) extract reads as follows: OVERSEAS ORDERS R E S T R I C T E D Ext, Par 4, Special Order 77, Sec I, Hq Eighth AFRD, 17-March-44 Cont'd CREW NO. 54 (APO 12832-BJ-54) 2nd Lt. Charles L. Riddle 0689354 2nd Lt. Robert H. Lemon 0749695 2nd Lt. Ray O. Hargis 0702916 2nd Lt. John W. Bryant 0696203 S/Sgt. John F. Mahoney 31312836 (748) S/Sgt. Robert M. Varty 39264256 (757) Sgt. Charles B. Coffman 33499388 (611) Sgt. Harry A. Kolinski 12088936 (611) Sgt. Vincent T. McHugh 17019895 (611) Sgt. Harold E. White 12169958 (612) Once in the UK the crew would officially be assigned to the 700th Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force, operating from RAF Tibenham, England; USAAF Station No. 124. Their first combat mission was relatively short range to France attacking Nazi V weapons sites. Their second mission which would prove to be their final is described in the VIII AF chronology occurring on Saturday, 22 April 1944, VIII AF Mission No.311 primary target the railroad marshalling yard at Hamm, Germany, roughly 75 miles inside Germany. Flying aboard aircraft B-24H-10-CF-41-29306 named "MAREZ-EE-DOTES". There has been much ado about this ships call sign as K for King, however this aircraft's radio call sign was known and painted on its fuselage;(K*IS), see this article http://www.heritageleague.org/files/2003iii-Fall.pdf Prior to takeoff for this mission No. 311 illness would change the crew structure. 2nd Lt Bob Lemon, co-pilot became ill, replaced by 1st Lt Francis C. Sneed from 445th Group Operations, which by rank placed him in command over 2nd Lt Riddle the normal crew pilot and commander. Sgt Vincent McHugh a gunner was replaced by Sgt. James R. Cockriel, ASN: 17174573 (Gunner MOS 611). As such the final crew complement as recorded in Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 4172 when downed in Belgium is as follows: 1st Lt Francis C. Sneed, Pilot, POW/EUS, Army Serial Number (ASN) O-449246 2nd Lt Charles L. Riddle, Co-Pilot, POW/EUS, ASN O-689354 2nd Lt Ray O. Hargis, Navigator, POW/EUS, ASN O-702916 2nd Lt John W. Bryant, Bombardier, POW/EUS, ASN O-696203 S/Sgt Robert M. Varty, Radio Operator, Evaded/POW/Executed, ASN 39264256 S/Sgt John F. Mahoney, Right Waist Gunner Evaded/Executed, ASN 31312836 Sgt Charles B. Coffman, Left Waist Gunner, POW/EUS, ASN 33499388 Sgt Harry A. Kolinski, Engineer Top Turret Gunner, POW/EUS, ASN 12088936 Sgt Harold E. White, Belly Turret Gunner, POW/EUS, ASN 12169959 Sgt James R. Cockriel, Tail Gunner Evaded, ASN 17175473. Escape and Evasion (E&E) Report #2616 for Sgt James Cockriel available here: https://research.archives.gov/id/5557232 From the mission report it appears the Sneed/Riddle aircraft 41-29306 was attacking the secondary target at Koblenz, Germany (headquarters Army Group B (Heeresgruppe B) a regular target of the AAF some 90 miles south of Hamm along with 50 other B-24's. On approach to the target 41-29306 took a direct flak hit in the bomb bay resulting in bombs being jettisoned/ salvoed with the aircraft heavily damaged turned for home. Their heavily damaged Liberator, being escorted on return by P-38 fighter support made it back nearing Spiere, Belgium, close to the boarder with France, when the aircraft could fly no further with the order to bail out given to the crew. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR #4172), 51 pages is available on fold3 a pay to view website for these documents starts here: https://www.fold3.com/image/1/28652464 There is no doubt that S/Sgt Varty was executed by the Nazi Gestapo while in POW custody at Arras, France on or about 17 May 1944. Sgt Varty was captured with Lt Hargis, Lt Bryant, and Lt Riddle on 16 May, after evading capture for 24 days. Yarty was removed from the confinement room where all were being held, and never heard from again. S/Sgt Mahoney and Sgt Cockriel continued to evade and actually took up arms helping the Belgian resistance partisans in sabotage and other missions. This effort continued until 6 September when the group was surrounded near Waregem, Belgium by Nazi troops capturing S/Sgt Mahoney, Sgt Cockriel and several partisans. The order was given to execute all in a roadside ditch. S/Sgt Mahoney was killed but Sgt Cockriel was only wounded in this execution attempt but survived being transported and treated the next day at hospital then liberated 11 September by advancing British armored units moving north into Belgium. Source: Find a grave