Raymond J. CHECK

Source : geoffrey gillon

B-17 Flying Fortresses 41-24496

"Chennault's Pappy III"

Mission : Bombing of a German aerodrome in France

Takeoff from Exeter's REF base

CEMETERY TEMPORARY of  Brookwood, LONDRES

CAMBRIDGE AMERICAN CEMETERY and MEMORIAL of Cambridge

Raymond was a Captain in the U.S. Army Air Forces 423rd Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomber Group, Heavy

Service # O-435856

He entered the Service from North Dakota

Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart

He was born on September 27, 1917 in North Dakota. His mother was born in Russia and his father was born in Poland.

A later census shows they were German speakers both born in Germany. It was probably a case of shifting borders. His father worked as a railroad road master.

Raymond had two older sisters and two older brothers. More about the brothers shortly.
He enlisted in the Army Air Forces on June 11, 1941. He became a captain and pilot in the 423rd Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force which was equipped with B-17 Flying Fortresses.
In the summer of 1943 airmen were given the opportunity to go home after twenty-five missions. Captain Check took off on his twenty-fifth mission on June 26, 1943, flying Chennault's Pappy III. It was a milk-run bombing mission of a German airfield in France. A big party was planned for the evening of their return.
During the bomb run, Check's temporary co-pilot, Lt. Col. James W. Wilson (an old squadron leader who wanted to go on Check's final mission), removed his gloves to make some adjustments to the engine. During the final seconds of the bomb run a German fighter swooped down unnoticed from the sun. One 20mm cannon shell hit Cap. Check in the neck, exploded and killed him. A fire started in the cockpit, badly burning Wilson's hands. A crewmate put out the fire with an extinguisher. Col. Wilson continued flying with a melted oxygen mask, steering with his arms above the elbows since his hands were too badly burned. Still under attack, a machine gun bullet hit the box of flares behind the pilot's seat. The flares exploded created another fire and blowing open the bomb bay doors. Fortunately, there was a third pilot on board -- Lt. William Cassedy, Check's normal co-pilot, was acting as a waist gunner.
Cassedy replaced Wilson in the co-pilot seat. With only one other uninjured man on board, Cassedy brought Chennault's Pappy III back to base. The radio was out and there were no remaining flares to announce an emergency landing. Instead of landing the plane into the wind as normal, Cassedy purposefully landed the plane downwind against incoming traffic. He wanted to avoid the reception group waiting to celebrate Check's 25th mission. It included an American army nurse who was going to marry Captain Check the next day.
His older brother Leonard was also an aviator and no ordinary one at that. At the start of the war he was a fighter pilot on the USS Enterprise. He participated in the Battle of Midway, Battle of Eastern Solomons, Battle of Santa Cruz Island and many others. He transferred to the USS Hancock and attained the rank of Lieutenant Commander and squadron leader. During his career he shot down 12 Japanese planes, including four on one mission. He was highly decorated, having earned the Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, and Legion of Merit. He died on January 5, 1945 in a midair collision with his wingman over the Philippines. His cenotaph memorial is at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu.
Raymond's other brother Gilbert was a colonel who served in both WW2 and Korea where he earned the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star. He died in 1987 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
[Biography written by Command Sergeant Major Dwight "Andy" Anderson.]

B-17 Flying Fortresses 41-24496

"Pappy III"

Leonard Joseph CHECK

Source : Valor.militarytimes.com

7^th Fighter Squadron

U.S.S. Hancock (CV-19)

Source : Jeff Hall

Source : Jeff Hall

Source : Jeff Hall

Silver Star

Navy Cross

 Distinguished Flying Cross

Awarded posthumously for actions during World War II

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Leonard Joseph Check (NSN: 0-77727), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as leader of a carrier-based fighter escort formation of Fighting Squadron SEVEN (VF-7), embarked in U.S.S. HANCOCK (CV-19), in action against remnants of the Japanese Fleet in the Philippine Islands Area on 26 October 1944. By leading three determined strafing runs on an enemy cruiser and destroyer he caused a full concentration of intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire to be directed at his fighters thus allowing our torpedo planes to make their torpedo runs, sinking the enemy cruiser, and to retire undamaged. By his repeated strafing the enemy destroyer was left without fire power. His courage and disregard for his own safety were at all times in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet: Serial 0689 (March 30, 1946)
Action Date: October 26, 1944
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Company: Fighting Squadron 7 (VF-7)
Division: U.S.S. Hancock (CV-19)

Awarded posthumously for actions during World War II

The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Commander Leonard Joseph Check (NSN: 0-77727), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism in operations against the enemy while serving as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Fighter Plane and Commanding Officer of Fighting Squadron SEVEN (VF-7), attached to the U.S.S. HANCOCK (CV-19), in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Philippine Islands Area on 29 October 1944. Intercepting an enemy formation of seven bombers and eight fighters while leading his divisions on combat air patrol over an Allied Task Group, Lieutenant Commander Check, accompanied by his wingman, skillfully maneuvered his plane for a direct overhead run and, selecting one of the dive bombers as a target, poured a deadly stream of fire into the hostile craft, shooting it down in flames. Continuing alone in pursuit of the enemy bombers as his flight engaged the fighters, he spotted two additional bombers approaching the Task Group and, plunging to the attack, trailed one of the planes with blazing guns until it crashed into the sea. Pulling out of this successful run to find himself only 500 feet above the water and working desperately to clear his jammed guns as he proceeded up through a heavy cloud formation, he sighted another bomber threatening the friendly vessels and, immediately closing range and bringing his guns to bear, blasted the hostile craft out of the sky. Again working his guns and gaining altitude as he ordered his division to join-up, he observed still another bomber making a run on the Task Group and delivered a short blast of fire into the hostile bomber's engine, causing the plane to nose over, burst into flames and hit the water. By his superb airmanship, daring combat tactics and indomitable fighting spirit, maintained throughout eight minutes of furious action, Lieutenant Commander Check prevented the enemy formation of fifteen planes from making a run on the Task Group and contributed materially to the success of our sustained drive against the Japanese in the Pacific War Theater. His valiant devotion to duty was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
General Orders: Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet: Serial 0689 (March 30, 1946)
Action Date: 29-Oct-44
Service: Navy
Rank: Lieutenant Commander
Company: Fighting Squadron 7 (VF-7)
Division: U.S.S. Hancock (CV-19)