Archibald Mathies

He stayed aboard a damaged bomber to save its wounded pilot.

Archibald Mathies was a United States Army Air Forces flight engineer and gunner who received the Medal of Honor for trying to land a crippled bomber rather than abandon its wounded pilot. Born in Scotland on 3 June 1918, he grew up in western Pennsylvania and worked in coal mining. He enlisted in the Army on 30 December 1940 and trained as an aircraft mechanic and aerial gunner.

Assigned to the 510th Bombardment Squadron, 351st Bombardment Group, in England, Mathies became a staff sergeant on 17 February 1944. Three days later, enemy fighters severely damaged his B-17 during a mission over Germany. With the copilot dead and the pilot unconscious, surviving crew members brought the bomber back to England. Mathies and the navigator remained aboard to try to save the pilot, who could not be moved.

The aircraft crashed on its third landing attempt on 20 February 1944, killing the three men still aboard. Mathies’s Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously. He is buried in Finleyville Cemetery, Pennsylvania.

Full Medal of Honor citation:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in action against the enemy in connection with a bombing mission over enemy-occupied Europe on 20 February 1944. The aircraft on which Sgt. Mathies was serving as engineer and ball turret gunner was attacked by a squadron of enemy fighters with the result that the copilot was killed outright, the pilot wounded and rendered unconscious, the radio operator wounded, and the plane severely damaged. Nevertheless, Sgt. Mathies and other members of the crew managed to right the plane and fly it back to their home station, where they contacted the control tower and reported the situation. Sgt. Mathies and the navigator volunteered to attempt to land the plane. Other members of the crew were ordered to jump, leaving Sgt. Mathies and the navigator aboard. After observing the distressed aircraft from another plane, Sgt. Mathies’ commanding officer decided the damaged plane could not be landed by the inexperienced crew and ordered them to abandon it and parachute to safety. Demonstrating unsurpassed courage and heroism, Sgt. Mathies and the navigator replied that the pilot was still alive but could not be moved and they would not desert him. They were then told to attempt a landing. After two unsuccessful efforts, the plane crashed into an open field in a third attempt to land. Sgt. Mathies, the navigator, and the wounded pilot were killed.”