Second Lieutenant Frederick Christopher "Chris" Ahrens was part of the crew of a B26-B Marauder that came down on Slieve Gallion, Co. Londonderry in 1944.
Second Lieutenant
O-762135
Second Lieutenant Frederick Christopher Ahrens (O-762135) served in 3rd Combat Crew Replacement Center, 8th United States Army Air Force during the Second World War. Born on 3rd December 1921, and known as Chris, he was the son of August Frederick Ahrens and Marie Eloise Margarethe Ahrens (née Bohling) of Davenport, Thayer County, Nebraska, U.S.A, and the wife of Betty Lois Ahrens (née Johnson).
Ahrens died on 21st June 1944 while serving as a bomber navigator on B-26B #41-18042. The plane crashed on Slieve Gallion, Co. Londonderry while on a training flight at low level in cloud. The crew of 6 took off from Toome Airfield, Co. Antrim. Of those onboard, 2 (Ahrens and Knap) died in the crash, 1 (DeVilbiss) died of injuries later the same day, and 3 survived the incident. A further 2 planes on the same training flight returned safely to Toome.
Burial first took place at Lisnabreeny American Military Cemetery, Belfast. After the war, Ahrens was repatriated to Block 9, Lot 23, Grave 1 of Davenport Cemetery, Davenport, Thayer County, Nebraska, U.S.A.