Russell Philip Allman (1919 - 2006)

Born 16 Feb 1919 in Highland County, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Mildred (Ehler) Allman — married 1 Sep 1943 in Walla Walla, Washington, United States

Died 22 Oct 2006 at age 87 in Newark, Licking, Ohio, United States

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Biography

1LT Russell Allman was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Russell Allman was awarded the Purple Heart.

1Lt Russell Allman served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started: 24 Mar 1941
Unit(s): 95th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 334th Bombardment Squadron
Service ended:

Russell Philip Allman was the eldest child of Orpha P. and Lucy Druhot Allman, born on February 16, 1919 in HIghland County, Ohio. ^[1][2]Russell grew up on his father's farm in New Market township and attended local schools.^[3]On September 1, 1943, Russell married Mildred Arlene Ehler in Walla Walla, Washington at the Walla Walla Air Base^[4]

War Story

In March 1941, Russell enlisted in the US Army at Fort Thomas in Kentucky. ^[5]He was later sent to a field artillery unit at Camp Blanding, Florida. Eventually, Allman was accepted as an aviation cadet and attended bombardier training and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant at San Angelo, Texas.^[6] He was assigned to the 334th Squadron, 95th Bombardment Group and flew 21 missions in B-17's over Germany from December 11, 1943 to March 6, 1944.^[7](Photo of the 334 Sqn archived here)

Mission 92

For mission #92, the destination was Berlin, Germany. The B-17, named "Junior" or "She's My Gal II", piloted by Lt. Garland B. Lloyd, crashed after sustaining heavy damage from a German fighter attack over Holland. Lt. Allman lost his right hand in the incident, but bailed from the plane with the rest of the crew when they realized that their plane would crash. (One wing of the B-17 was ablaze.)^[8]Allman was taken prisoner by German troops and held at Stalag Luft III for six months,^[9][10] then exchanged for two German POW's in September of 1944. ^[6]Finally, Lt. Allman returned to the US via the Gripsholm.^[6]He arrived in New York on 26 Sep 1944 and was admitted to Holloran General Hospital in Staten Island, New York for treatment of his wounds. ^[11]He was discharged from the United States Army on January 12, 1945.^[2] For his service during the war, Lt. Allman was awarded a Purple Heart and an Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and was authorized to wear the European Theater Ribbon with Bronze Star.^[2]
The site where the B-17 crashed has been memorialized with a plaque affixed to a boulder in Drenthe, Netherlands. There is a photo of it here. Some remains of the plane, some personal effects, and a flight jacket were recovered during the 1990s by the staff of a Dutch museum.

Military Decorations

After the War

Russell and Mildred lived in Licking County, Ohio. He worked for William S Moore stores and Airsman Ignition. ^[2] Mildred died in 1985.^[12] He married again, to Nellie M. McCune Kovaleski.^[2] Mr. Allman remained active in many veterans and fraternal organizations throughout his life, including the Knights Templar of Chillicothe, the Grand Lodge of Masons of Ohio, Lions Club of Newark, the 95th Bomb Groups Association, the Mound Builders Chapter 13, and Columbus Chapter 1 of the American Ex-prisoners of War.^[2] Russell P. Allman died on October 22, 2006 at the age of 87.^[13] He was interred at Newark Memorial Gardens, Newark, Ohio, alongside his first wife, Mildred. ^[14]He was survived by his second wife, Nellie.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDYP-KNJ : 14 December 2015), Russel Allman in household of Arpha Allman, Concord, Highland, Ohio, United States; citing sheet 7A, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,821,399.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} "Russell P Allman Obituary." The Columbus Dispatch. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2016.
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4WJ-XGX : 8 December 2015), Russel Allman in entry for D Phillip Allman, 1930.
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.;Original data: Washington State Archives. Olympia, Washington: Washington State Archives, citing reference nr. eawwmc13545, Marriage of Russell Philip Allman and Mildred Arlene Ehler, 1 Sep 1943.
5. ↑ "United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8YD-RMT : 5 December 2014), Russell P Allman, enlisted 24 Mar 1941, Ft Thomas, Newport, Kentucky, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 126323, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Hatch, Gardner N., W. Curtis. Musten, and John S. Edwards. American Ex-prisoners of War: Non Solum Armis. Vol.3. Paducah, KY: Turner Pub., 1988. Print.
7. ↑ "Flight Records." - The 95th Bomb Group Memorials Foundation. 95th Bomb Group Memorials Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 July 2016.
8. ↑ WWII Research by Pats
9. ↑ Dutch Airwar Studygroup 1939-1945;Loss Chart on: T3496
10. ↑ United States, World War II Prisoners of War, 1941-1945, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q29D-MMPF : 18 February 2016), Russell P Allman, 06 Mar 1944; citing Military Service, Germany, NARA NAID 1263907 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
11. ↑ "Allman Returns." The Daily News-Journal (Wilmington,Ohio) 29 Sep 1944: 2. Print.
12. ↑ "Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VKKC-VVD : 8 December 2014), Mildred A Allman, 30 Nov 1985; from "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-2007," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2010); citing vol. 26276, certificate number 093259, Ohio Historical Society, Columbus; Ohio Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Columbus.
13. ↑ "Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VKTM-9J6 : 8 December 2014), Russell P. Allman, 22 Oct 2006; from "Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-2007," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2010); citing vol. 35494, certificate number 83806, Ohio Historical Society, Columbus; Ohio Department of Health, State Vital Statistics Unit, Columbus.
14. ↑ Billion Graves Memorial for Russell P Allman

See also:

• 95th Bomb Group
• Washington World War II Army Airfields