2nd Lt. Harry C. Shannon
United States Army Air Corps (1942-1943)
Harry Charles Shannon was born on May 30,
1920, to parents Catherine M. and Harry E. Shannon of 2853 Midland Street. Harry
had three brothers, Ralph, Robert and Jack, and one sister, Marie. The Shannon
family were members of the Brookline Boulevard United Presbyterian Church, where
Harry was a Boy Scout. A graduate of Brookline Elementary School and South Hills
High School, Harry attended Duff's Iron City College and worked as an insurance
broker for Logue Brothers.
Two months after the United States entered
World War II, in February 1942, Harry enlisted in the U.S. Army and, after completing
basic training, joined the Aviation Air Corps. After further flight training in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned as a
bombardier in the 64th Bombardment Squadron, 43rd Bombardment Group of the United
States 5th Air Force.
2nd Lt. Harry C. Shannon was assigned to a
ten member B24 Liberator bomber crew. His other crew members were 1st Lt. Walter C.
Hammond, Pilot; 1st Lt. Robert F. Johnston, Co-Pilot; 2nd Lt. Arthur N. Zuckerman,
Navigator; T/Sgt Hartsill C. Rasor, Engineer; T/Sgt William E. Guinn, R; S/Sgt
Dominic T. Rossi, AE; S/Sgt Glenn E. Slettin, AR; S/Sgt Jeremiah S. Connolly, Gunner;
S/Sgt Daniel M. Costello, Gunner.
The 64th Bombardment Squadron began the war
equipped with early model B-17 Flying Fortresses flying anti-submarine missions from
Bangor, Maine. The unit was deployed to Australia in February 1942. Equipped with
a rag-tag group of B-17's the squadron began flying anti-shipping missions in
support of New Guinea in September 1942. The unit participated in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, using low-level skip bombing against Japanese
troop transports and destroyers.
Originally stationed at Fenton Field in
Australia, the squadron moved to Jackson Airdrome in Port Moresby, New Guinea on
January 30, 1943. Starting in May 1943, the lumbering B-17's were replaced with
B-24 Liberators, an aircraft better suited to the long-range missions in the
South Pacific.
After crew certification was completed in
April 1943, Lt. Shannon and the rest of the crew received their new B-24 Liberator
#40671 and christened it "Double Trouble." Before going overseas, the men
were given leave.
Harry spent the month of May 1943 at home
in Brookline with his parents Harry and Catherin, and brother Jack. His other
brothers were both in the service. Ralph was a private in the Army training in an
armored unit in Arkansas and Robert in Naval Radio School in Indiana. His sister
Marie had married and was living in Roanoke, Virginia at the time.
On May 30, his 23rd birthday, Harry's leave
ended and he left Pittsburgh to rejoin his unit. Soon he and his crew were flying
their new bomber from the west coast of the United States to the South Pacific
Theatre of Operations to join their squadron.
After several stops along the way, they
arrived at Port Moresby, New Guinea on June 29. At the time, General MacArthur's
forces were involved in Operation Cartwheel,
a major Allied offensive designed to neutralize the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul.
The 64th Squadron was flying shipping interdiction and bombing missions in support
of that campaign.
A B-24 Liberator during a bombing run over the
major Japanese base at Salamaua, Australian New Guinea.
Only two weeks after arriving at their
base, Lt. Shannon and the crew of "Double Trouble" took off for a mission from
Jackson Airdrome and began circling the ocean to gain altitude. Within less than
an hour the aircraft suffered mechanical problems and the pilot, Lt. Hammond,
began the return run to the base.
On the plane's approach to the airdrome,
a catastrophic failure caused the aircraft to lose control when only 300 feet
above the ground. The B-24 crashed and exploded. All ten crew members were killed
instantly. 2nd Lt. Harry C. Shannon's body was buried near Port Moresby in New
Guinea.
Back home in Brookline, the Shannon family
received a telegram on July 23 notifying them of Harry's fate. The Pittsburgh Press
reported his death on August 7. While the community of Brookline mourned Harry's
loss, in the window of the Shannon home at 2853 Midland Street, a Gold Star
replaced one of the three Blue Service Stars.
In March 1948, the body of 2nd Lt. Harry
Charles Shannon was returned to the United States. Funeral services were held on
March 27 at Beinhauer Mortuary. He was buried in the soldier's plot at the Union
Dale Cemetery on the Northside, with military services by Brookline's American
Legion Post #540.
The Shannon family tragedy did not end
with the death of their son Harry. Their youngest son, Marine Private Jack E. Shannon, lost his life on June 20, 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa. Jack is
buried alongside his brother Harry at the Union Dale Cemetery. The other two
Shannon brothers, Ralph and Robert, both survived the war. The Shannon family
of 2853 Midland Street was the only Brookline family to lose two sons during World
War II.
* Written by Clint Burton:
May 2, 2018 *
The Brookline
War Memorial
Listed below are
many of the sons of Brookline who gave their
lives to preserve freedom and contain aggression during
World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.”
General George S. Patton
World War I
(1917-1919)
The World War I Memorial -
Washington D.C.
<> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <>
World War II
(1941-1945)
Alm, William H.
Pioneer Avenue
Army
Details |
Arensberg, Roy T.
Fernhill Avenue
Army
Details |
Bracey, Bruce H.
Plainview Avenue
Army
Details |
Brickley, Edward G.
Woodward Avenue
Army
Details |
Capogreca, James J.
Merrick Avenue
Navy
Details |
Copeland, Clarence R.
Creedmoor Avenue
Navy
Details |
Cullison, Thomas J.
Birtley Avenue
Army
Details |
Dempsey, Howard F.
Berkshire Avenue
Army
Details |
Dempsey, Walter F.
Milan Avenue
Navy
Details |
Diegelman, Edward R. Jr
Norwich Avenue
Army
Details |
Dornetto, Frank P.
Jacob Street
Navy
Details |
Doyle, John F Jr.
Eben Street
Navy
Details |
Fagan, Gerald B.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
Falk, Harold E.
Pioneer Avenue
Army
Details |
Fehring, Robert M.
Fernhill Avenue
Army
Details |
Gmuca, Joseph J.
Brookline Boulevard
Army
Details |
Heil, Robert F.
Bayridge Avenue
Army
Details |
Hynes, Richard E.
Waddington Avenue
Army
Details |
Kestler, Paul C.
Creedmoor Avenue
Navy
Details |
Ketters, Robert C.
Berkshire Avenue
Army
Details |
Mahoney, Michael J.
Oakridge Street
Army
Details |
Majestic, Arthur B.
Starkamp Avenue
Army
Details |
Mayberry, Alexander G.
Breining Street
Army
Details |
Mazza, John
Alwyn Street
Army
Details |
McCann, Robert F.
Edgebrook Avenue
Navy
Details |
McFarland, Hugh R.
McNeilly Road
Army
Details |
Meisner, Walter F.
Berwin Avenue
Merchant Marine
Details |
Miller, William J.
Norwich Avenue
Army
Details |
Napier, Edward J.
Brookline Boulevard
Army
Details |
Nicholson, John D.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
O'Day, John R.
Creedmoor Avenue
Navy
Details |
Orient, Andrew D.
Fordham Avenue
Army
Details |
Pisiecki, Raymond A.
Wolford Avenue
Army
Details |
Reeves, Alfred M.
Brookline Boulevard
Army
Details |
Reitmeyer, John P.
Bellaire Avenue
Navy
Details |
Rhing, Vern M.
Norwich Avenue
Army
Details |
Ruane, Roy J.
Berkshire Avenue
USMC
Details |
Shannon, Harry C.
Midland Street
Army
Details |
Shannon, Jack E.
Midland Street
USMC
Details |
Simpson, James D.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
Spack, Harry
Linial Avenue
Army
Details |
Tobin, Paul M.
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
Vierling, Howard F.
Fordham Avenue
Army
Details |
Wagner, Ralph G.
Shawhan Avenue
Army
Details |
Wentz, Walter L. Jr
Woodbourne Avenue
Army
Details |
Zeiler, Harold V.
West Liberty Avenue
Army
Details |
The World War II Memorial -
Washington D.C.
<> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <>
Korean War
(1950-1953)
Korean War Memorial -
Washington D.C.
<> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
<> <> <> <> <> <>
Vietnam War
(1965-1973)
Vietnam War Memorial -
Washington D.C.
The Brookline
Monument - The Cannon
<Brookline
War Memorial> <> <Brookline
History> |