Arthur C. Frey was born at Manchester, Washentaw County, Michigan on August 10, 1921. His parents were Walter John Frey (12 Aug 1895 28 May 1969), who was born at Norvell Township, Jackson County, Michigan; and Nellie Juanita (Sutton) Frey (1893 1956), who was born at Manchester, Michigan. By 1917 his father was a farmer in Manchester, Michigan. His parents married at Manchester, Michigan on August 11, 1918. His father served in the U.S. Navy during World War I.
He had a younger sister, Marjorie Frey (abt 1924 unk). In 1940 he lived with his parents and sister on a farm on English Road in Manchester Township, Michigan. He completed four years of high school, and worked in construction and as a mechanic and repairman. He was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Detroit, Michigan on October 9, 1942. His home of record was Rural Route 2, Manchester, Washtenaw County, Michigan.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training, and was assigned as nose turret gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Doyle L. Simons. In December 1943 the Simons crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field in Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944 the crew was assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 combat crew training, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. Sgt Frey is not listed in the 487th Bomb Group air echelon deployment order from Alamogordo, and he is not in the photo of the Simons crew taken during the deployment; so he probably traveled overseas with the ground echelon aboard the troop ship SS Duchess of Bedford, and rejoined the crew in England.
The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near the village of Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After the Group arrived in England, Lt Simons was grounded with appendicitis, and was replaced as First Pilot by 2/Lt Lorin D. McCleary Jr.
The 487th Bomb Group was based at U.S. Army Air Forces Station 137, near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After the Group arrived in England, Lt Simons was grounded with appendicitis, and was replaced as First Pilot by 2/Lt Lorin D. McCleary Jr.
On May 11, 1944, the McCleary crew took off from Lavenham in B-24H 42-52444 on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Chaumont, France. The secondary target was Troyes. The 487th Bomb Group formation never reached the target. Navigational error resulted in the formation flying over accurate German flak guns guarding the airfield at Chateaudun, France. Sgt Frey and eight of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by flak over Chateaudun. MACR 4782 reports, "He [Sgt Frey, nose turret gunner] reported flak 12:00, zero elevation." The aircraft took a direct flak hit in the nose and flight deck. It began burning immediately, exploded in the air, and crashed three kilometers east of Varize, Eure-et-Loire, France, near Bazoches-en-Dunois. One man, Staff Sergeant Harold E. Owens, was blown clear and survived.
The dead were recovered by German troops, who buried them at the Grand Cimetiθre in Orleans, France. After the war, Sgt Frey's remains were returned to the United States and reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
B-24H 42-52444 crew:
McCleary, Lorin D 2/Lt Pilot KIA
McCoy, Ernest E 2/Lt Copilot KIA
Kramer, Victor S 2/Lt Navigator KIA
Perry, Joseph D 2/Lt Bombardier KIA
Owens, Harold E S/Sgt Engineer POW
McKee, Eugene S/Sgt Radio Operator KIA
Frey, Arthur C Sgt Nose Turret KIA
Churm, Paul K Sgt Top Turret KIA
Barboza, Clemente M Sgt Ball Turret KIA
Knapp, Dale L Sgt Tail Turret KIA
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com