Darr H. Alkire

Brigadier General Darr Hayes Alkire was a pilot of the United States Army Air Corps in 1932, the United States Army Air Forces (1941), and the United States Air Force (1947); and was the first commander of the World War II 100th Bombardment Group. After his 19th B-24 Liberator mission, when the Lurchin Urchin (41-29223) crashed near Cervia, he was a POW commander until April 4, 1945; then marched to Stalag Luft III where on April 27 he was the West Compound commander until liberated.
Alkire crashed Douglas BT-2C #31-445 at Yorktown, Texas, on April 11, 1932, and was piloting the "Maui Maid" (41-28623, named for his 2nd wife) which was the first 449th Bombardment Group B-24 to land in Italy [1] (at Grottaglie Airfield). The Maui Maid was scrapped for parts after a different crew struck an embankment. In 1958, Alkire appeared on television in 1958 regarding the "Rocket Age."

The United States Air Force filmed the Lurchin Urchin B-24 Liberator on the mission in which Colonel Alkire was shot down.

 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force website http://www.af.mil.