US WWII USAAF B-24 Liberator Air Gunner Grouping, KIA 1943 New Guinea
This item is listed for historical interest only. It was listed on our site previously but has been sold and is no longer available for purchase.
Sold for: $550.00

Original period manufacture. This extensive grouping formed part of a large collection purchased by Terri and I several years ago, and was recently re-discovered when transferring the contents of storage boxes. The lot concerns the service of John Martin Blessing, 20, who served as an Aerial Gunner in the USAAF, aboard a B-24 Liberator bomber. His aircraft never returned from a night mission over Japanese held Wewak New Guinea August 6 1943. Initially listed as MIA, he was officially declared dead in 1946, and his remains, along with the 9 other crewmen were interred at the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in 1950. The lot contains the medals and insignia shown, cased slot brooch Purple Heart, cased wrap brooch Air Medal, sterling clutchback AG wings, boxed Victory and Asiatic Pacific medals. All of these are noted as his official entitlement in the paperwork. This is an extensive grouping of paperwork and documents, Unit History of the Black Pirates 1942-1944 printed in Australia, pillow sham in the original envelope which he mailed to his Mother, a Mother's Day card in the original box, scrapbook with period photography, mostly of a commercial nature, numerous documents to his family regarding his fate, and much more.  None of the medals are named, but all were included in the lot at the time of our purchase.