Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

The Navy Department Library

Related Content
Topic
  • Aviation
Document Type
  • Primary Source Document
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials

Aviation Personnel Fatalities in World War II

In reply address not the signer of this
letter, but Bureau of Naval Personnel,
Navy Department, Washington 25, D.C.

Refer to No.
      Pers 2152-KFM

NAVY DEPARTMENT
BUREAU OF NAVAL PERSONNEL
WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

18 April 1947

Savings Bond logo

MEMORANDUM

To: Chief of History and Research, DCNO (Air),
Attn: Mr. Van Wyen--Aviation History, Room 4929.
Subj: Aviation Personnel Fatalities in World War II.
Ref: (a) Telephone request from OP50D-1 of 14 April 1947.
Encl: (A) Aviation Personnel Fatalities in World War II from 7 December 1941 to 31 December 1946.
  1. Enclosure (A) is forwarded herewith in answer to reference (a).

/signed/
Very respectfully
J.R. LEEDS
OinC, Personnel Accounting and
Statistical Control Section

CC to: Op55F1 (Capt. B.S. CUSTER, USN)

AVIATION PERSONNEL FATALITIES IN WORLD WAR II /1
From 7 Dec. 1941 Through 31 Dec. 1946

  GRAND
TOTAL
TOTAL
OFFICERS
OFFICERS
USN   USNR
TOTAL
ENLISTED

ENLISTED


 USN    USNR
TOTAL DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES 12133 5563 507 5056 6570 1818 4752
DEATHS--ENEMY ACTION 3618 1602 163 1439 2016 648 1368
   Air Combat 2891 1425 151 1274 1466 499 967
   Other Action 727 177 12 165 550 149 401
DEATHS PLANE CRASHES--OPERATIONAL 3632 1261 98 1163 2371 657 1714
DEATHS PLANE CRASHES--OTHER THAN OPERATIONAL /2 3257 2434 184 2250 823 167 656
DEATHS IN AVIATION ACCIDENTS--OTHER THAN PLANE CRASHES /3 143 37 3 34 106 23 83
DEATHS IN AVIATION ACCIDENTS NOT UNDER MILITARY JURISDICTION 12 8 1 7 4 1 3
DEATHS ALL OTHER CAUSES 1471 221 58 163 1250 322 928
   Accidents other than Aviation Accidents 998 93 15 78 905 242 663
   Disease 342 97 34 63 245 47 198
   All Other 131 31 9 22 100 33 67
Missing Not Declared Dead
   (Not Included in Above Totals)
4 3 2 1 1 1  

/1 Aviation Personnel as defined in these data by the Records Division, to be all personnel classified and attached to Air Activities in Continental U.S. and Foreign Ashore; and Aviation Squadrons and Units Afloat. Ship's Company of Aircraft Carriers and Auxiliaries are not included. These statistics are undergoing revisions and represent changes processed through March 1947.

/2 Training and Ferrying.

/3 Not actually in flight, such as one occurring by being struck by propeller.

Enclosure (A)

[END]

Published: Wed Sep 23 16:34:26 EDT 2020