Donald Grimes was born on December 22, 1921 and was from Washington. He served as the Flight Engineeron B-24 “Death Dealer (42-40611).
On August 13, 1943, B-24 “Death Dealer” (42-40611) 409th Bomber Squadron, of the 93rd Bomber Group was on a bombing mission from Benghazi, Libya to bomb a target at the Weiner-Neustadt Aircraft factories in Austria. The plane sustained serve flak damage and lost an engine near the target and diverted to Switzerland. The plan successfully made a belly landing near Wil, Switzerland and the crew destroyed the plane. The crew was interned in neutral Switzerland internment camps for foreign belligerents. This was the first US Plane of many to come down on Swiss soil. While the 93rd Bomber Group normally was based out of England (Station 104- , in late June 1943, it was transferred to Northern Africa to support the 9th and 12th Air Force “Operation Tidal Wave” – the bombing of the Ploesti, Romania oilfields. “Death Dealer” participated in the famous mission on August 1, 1943.

FROM FIND A GRAVEDonald Junior Grimes Donald Junior Grimes passed away on December 11, 2011, at the VA Mountain View Living Center in Sheridan, Wyoming. He was 89. Don was born on December 22, 1921 in Port Orchard, Washington to John D. and Alma Yonkee Grimes. He moved to Sheridan shortly after birth, where he spent his entire life, except for the years during WWII. Don enlisted in the US Army Air Force in 1941, and trained as a radio operator/gunner at Scott Field, Illinois. Don flew with a B-24 crew in the 93rd Bombardment Group. His squadron flew first out of England, and later out of Libya. Don was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Don flew in the famous Ploesti Raid, a mission to bomb the oil fields of Romania. Twelve days following the Ploesti Raid, Don survived a crash in Wil, Switzerland. He was interned in Switzerland for nearly two years, where he served as a radio operator at the U.S. State Department in Berne. Don returned to Sheridan after the war, and married Catherine M. Fulghum of Delta, CO, on June 13, 1946. Don and Kate enjoyed their family, mountain trips, fly-fishing and gardening. Catherine preceded Don in death after 61 years of marriage. He was also predeceased by his youngest daughter, Patty Ann Riley of Erie, CO, and his brother, William Grimes of Great Falls, MT.