John J. Boyle.
Navigator · 328th Squadron · Of Swallowers School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, PA.
The Man Behind the Name
1st Lt. John J. Boyle served as pilotage navigator and observer on B-24J 42-100294 on the 24 June 1944 mission to Dreux Airdrome, France.
Boyle was the first man to bail out of the burning aircraft. Parts of the burning aircraft fell on his open parachute. He was reported buried by French civilians approximately 20 kilometers south of Dreux, France, per information from a French priest.
The E&E report notes Lt. Boyle was reported as a POW by a helper, though casualty questionnaire narratives indicate he may have been killed by burning debris on his parachute. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs. May R. Boyle.
Service record.
Missions flown.
The missions below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.