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Gotts Surname Family History
Sergeant Howard F 4599 Gotts
Howard F Gotts is listed on the ‘Missing in Action or Buried at Sea Tablets of the Missing’ at Florence American Cemetery Florence, Italy.
He is shown missing in action on 1 Aug 1943, Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces Service Number: 12055796 Regiment: 66th Bomber Squadron, 44th Bomber Group, Heavy. The awards given to him are: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, Purple Heart.
Air Raid on Ploesti Oil Complex, Romania
Ploesti in Romania was a collection of locations for oil refining and storage. It provided 60% of the fuel for the German Military, and it was identified as a target during the Casablanca conference in 1943.
According to the 44th Bomb Group Roll of Honor and Casualties the aircraft was on an air raid to Ploesti on 1 August 1943. In 66th Squadron was the plane, a B-24 #41-24015 R, known as WING DINGER MACR #2410, piloted by 1st Lt George W Winger. Howard was the Radio Operator, and is listed as from Stanley, New York. For more details of the crew click on the link above. For more on the raid read on.
Howard F Gotts - his background
Thanks to Joyce Richardson we now know that Howard was her great-uncle, 3rd son of Frederick Nelson Gotts and Ina Pearl Estey Gotts, born in Stanley, New York State in 1920.
Frederick’s grandfather was Samuel Gotts who was married to Martha Preston, both born 1833 in England. We now know that this is Samuel 155 Gotts in tree #040. Click below to read about the family.
WW2 Howard F 4599 Gotts US Air Force - #040
Reburial on 2 Sept 2019
Howard has been identified recently through DNA testing and assessment of the location of the crash. Click here for the report on this
His remains have been moved from the American Military Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium, back home for re-interment at Stanley, NY state on 2 September 2019. Tony Destro has created pictures describing this and a Facebook page. For more details of this and his background see the next page.
44 Bomber Group Squadron badges, 66 Squadron at left
c/o IWM & RAF Shipdham
44 Bomber group came to England Sept 1942 then moved to Libya 28 June 1943.