The Earl Seagars page on the site finishes at Africa which is a great shame as the information from that point onward would be far more relevant. I have gone back into the records and can come up with the following: 2/Lt Edward K Gallagher and crew were assigned to the 558th BS on March 1st 1944. There are not many Medal award documents in the 558th records. I have found the following for 2/Lt Earl Seagars:

• 3rd OLC to Air Medal as per GO 115 IX BC 29th June 1944
• 4th OLC to Air Medal as per GO 130 IX BC 19th July 1944
• 5th OLC to Air Medal as per GO 131 IX BC 30th July 1944
• 6th OLC to Air Medal as per GO 161 IX BC 21st Aug 1944 (Missing in Action)
• 7th OLC at Air Medal as per GO 3 9th BD 13th Sept 1944 (Missing in Action). Listed as a 1st/Lt.

This would indicate that he completed between 40 and 44 combat missions prior to being shot down on August 28th 1944.

I have compiled a list of missions as flown by Lt Ed Gallagher (attached) on the assumption that Earl Seagars was the Co-Pilot with him but I must stress that is purely an assumption.

Also attached is the Missing Air Crew Report for the loss of 42-96033 ‘Lil Itchy Itchy’, the plane Earl was flying in when shot down.

-Alan Crouchman, 387th Historian

2/Lt Edward K Gallagher Jr mission list
1^st March 1944 crew assigned to 558^th BS

Date – Plane tail no. – Target
26^th Mar – 131846 – Ijmuiden E Boat pens
10^th Apr – 131661 – Namur M/Y
11^th Apr – 131654 – Beauvoir
13^th Apr – 131846 – Namur (Abort Early Return Eng Trouble)
19^th Apr – 131723 – Dieppe (Abort ER – Bombardier sick)
19^th Apr – 296109 – Malines M/Y
21^st Apr – 131799 – Zudausques
22^nd Apr – 131846 – Bois des Huit Rues
23^rd Apr – 131640 – Benerville Coastal Def
24^th Apr – 131652 – Beauvoir (formation recalled due to weather)
25^th Apr – 131670 – Beauvoir
1^st May – 131692 – Monceau sur Sambre (Abort – engine trouble)
1^st May – 296164 – Louvain M/Y
19^th May – 296033 – Ouistreham Coastal Def
22^nd May – 296033 – La Pernelle/Barfleur
25^th May – 131654 – Leige Val Benoit RR Br
29^th May AM – 2107598 – Conflans RR Br (Flight did not drop bombs)
3^rd June – 131865 – Etaples Camiers Coastal Def
4^th June – 131652 – Calais/Marck Field Battery
7^th June – 131865 – Villedieu RR Sidings
8^th June – 131654 – Foret de Grimburg (Abortive – weather)
10^th June AM – 131670 – St Lo
10^th June PM – 131647 – Bretteville – Bullay RR Br (Abort – lost formation in cloud)

17 successful missions, 6 abortive.

The only Medal award listed in the records shows the award of the 3^rd Oak Leaf Cluster to the Air Medal as per General Order 115 on June 29^th 1944.  This would indicate that he completed between 20 and 25 successful missions.  My assumption is that he flew several missions as a co-pilot first. He no longer appears in the records after the missions of June 10^th and no reason is given for any possible transfer for any reason.