★
Loading archive…
Service Profile
- Branch
- U.S. Army Air Forces
- Rank
- Captain
- Service Era
- World War II, European Theater of Operations, Air Offensive, Europe, Normandy Campaign, Northern France Campaign
- Medals Recorded
- 15
Darrell Robins Lindsey
Captain, U.S. Army Air Forces
Support & adopt this hero ↓World War IIEuropean Theater of OperationsAir Offensive, EuropeNormandy CampaignNorthern France Campaign
Awards & Decorations
- Medal of Honor
- Purple Heart
- Air Medal9 awards · 1 Silver Oak Leaf & 3 Oak Leaves
- American Campaign Medal
- European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal3 Bronze Stars
- World War II Victory Medal
- Army Presidential Unit Citation
Ribbon Rack
Biography
He held a burning bomber steady until his crew could escape.
Darrell Robins Lindsey grew up in Iowa and trained as an American bomber pilot during the Second World War. A captain in the 585th Bombardment Squadron, 394th Bombardment Group, he flew B-26 Marauders with the Ninth Air Force from England.
On 9 August 1944 he led thirty bombers against the railway bridge at L’Isle-Adam, north of Paris. Antiaircraft fire set his right engine ablaze before the bombing run was complete. Lindsey regained the lead and brought the formation over the target. Only after the bombs were released did he order his crew to abandon the aircraft.
He kept the burning B-26 stable while the others parachuted. When his bombardier offered to lower the landing gear to help him escape, Lindsey refused because the change might make the aircraft uncontrollable. The bomber exploded before he could leave. His Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously in 1945. His sacrifice has been commemorated in Iowa and by the former Lindsey Air Station in Germany.
Support & adopt
Become the named supporter for this profile and edit the tribute biography and portrait (Owner account required). Proceeds help keep the archive online.
$25 USD / year — annual sponsorship renewal. Keeps the page online and, where enabled, the family anniversary remembrance emails active.