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⚫ {{Short description|United States Army Air Forces airman}}
{{Infobox Military Person {{Infobox military person
|name= Alan Eugene Magee | name = Alan Eugene Magee
|image=
| image =
|caption= | caption =
|born= {{birth date|1919|1|13}}
|died= {{death date and age|2003|12|20|1919|1|13}} | birth_date = {{birth date|1919|1|13}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|12|20|1919|1|13}}
|placeofbirth=] | birth_place = ]
|placeofdeath=] | death_place = ]
|placeofburial= | placeofburial =
|placeofburial_label= Place of birth | placeofburial_label = Place of birth
|nickname= | nickname =
|allegiance={{USA}} | allegiance = USA
⚫ |branch=]
| branch = ]
|serviceyears=1941-1945 | serviceyears = 1941–1945
|rank=] | rank = ]
|unit=303d Bomb Group, ] | unit = 303rd Bomb Group, ]
|commands= | commands =
|battles=] | battles = ]
|awards=]<br/>] | awards = ]<br />]
|relations= | relations =
|laterwork= | laterwork =
}} }}
'''Alan Eugene Magee''' (January 13, 1919 – December 20, 2003) was an ] ] during ] who survived a 22,000 foot (6,700 m) fall from his damaged ]. He was featured in ] as one of the 10 most amazing survival stories of World War II. '''Alan Eugene Magee''' (January 13, 1919&nbsp;– December 20, 2003) was a United States ] during ] who survived a 22,000-foot (6,700 m) fall from his damaged ].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nye |first1=Logan |title=The story of the World War II gunner who fell 22,000 feet without a parachute and lived |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/the-story-of-the-wwii-gunner-who-fell-22000-feet-without-a-parachute-and-lived-2016-4 |work=Business Insider}}</ref> He was featured in the 1981 '']'' as one of the 10 most amazing survival stories of World War II.


== Military career and fall ==
Alan Magee was born in ] as the youngest of six children. Immediately after the ] Magee joined the ] and was assigned as a ] gunner on a B-17 bomber nicknamed "Snap, Crackle, and Pop".<ref name="303rd"> "Snap, Crackle, and Pop" aircraft information from 303rdbg.com, Magee's unit.</ref>
Immediately after the ], Magee joined the ] and was assigned as a ] gunner on a B-17 bomber.


On January 3, 1943, his Flying Fortress—B-17F-27-BO, ''41-24620'', nicknamed "Snap! Crackle! Pop!"<ref name="303rd"> "snap! crackle pop!" aircraft information from 303rdbg.com, Magee's unit.</ref>—part of the ], ],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.303rdbg.com/magee.html |title=Alan Magee Story |publisher=303rdbg.com |date=1943-01-03 |accessdate=2010-05-08}}</ref> was on a daylight bombing run over ], France. This was Magee's seventh mission.
On 3 January 1943 Magee's B-17 was on a daylight bombing run over ], ] when ] shot off a section of the right wing causing the aircraft to enter a deadly spin. This was Magee's seventh mission.


Magee left his ball turret when it became inoperative after being damaged by German ], and discovered his parachute had been torn and rendered useless. Another flak hit then blew off a section of the right wing, causing the aircraft to enter a deadly spin. Magee, in the process of moving from the bomb bay to the radio room, blacked out from ] because of the high altitude and was thrown clear of the aircraft. He fell over {{convert|4|miles|km}} before crashing through the glass roof of the ]. The glass roof shattered, mitigating the force of Magee's final impact. Rescuers found him on the floor of the station.
Magee was wounded in the attack but managed to escape from the ball turret. Unfortunately, his parachute had been damaged and rendered useless by the attack, so having no choice, he leapt from the plane without a parachute, rapidly losing consciousness due to the altitude.


⚫ Magee was taken as a ] and given medical treatment by his captors. He had 28 ] wounds in addition to his injuries from the fall: several broken bones, severe damage to his nose and eye, lung and kidney damage, and a nearly severed right arm.
Magee fell over four miles before crashing through the glass roof of the St. Nazaire railroad station. Somehow the glass roof mitigated Magee's impact and rescuers found him still alive on the floor of the station.


⚫ Magee was liberated in May 1945 and received the ] for meritorious conduct and the ]. On January 3, 1993, the 50th anniversary of the attack, the people of St. Nazaire honored Magee and the crew of his bomber by erecting a {{convert|6|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} memorial to them.
⚫ Magee was taken as a ] and given medical treatment by his captors. He had 28 ] wounds in addition to the damage from the fall. He had several broken bones, severe damage to his nose and eye, and lung and kidney damage, and his right arm was nearly severed.


== Personal life ==
⚫ Magee was liberated in May 1945 and received the ] for meritorious conduct and the ]. After the war Magee earned his pilot's license and enjoyed flying. He worked in the airline industry in a variety of roles. He retired in 1979 and moved to northern ].
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2022}}
Magee was born in ], as the youngest of six children.


After the war, he earned his pilot's license and worked in the airline industry in a variety of roles. He retired in 1979 and moved to northern ]. He died in ], on December 20, 2003, from ] and ], at the age of 84.
On 3 January 1993 the people of St. Nazaire honored Magee and the crew of his bomber by erecting a 6-foot tall memorial to them.

Alan Magee died in ] on 20 December 2003 from ] and ] at the age of 84.

A variation of this story was tested in an episode of '']''. In the episode, the crew tested the legend that an airman fell out of a plane and was saved by the shockwave of a bomb exploding through a glass train station. The version of the story tested suggests that the glass ceiling and the bomb shockwave would not have significantly mitigated the fall.


==See also== ==See also==
{{portal|World War II}} {{Portal|Biography}}
; Fall survivors
{{portal|United States Army|United States Department of the Army Seal.svg}}
* ], British ] crewman who survived falling from his burning aircraft in 1944
⚫ *]
* ], Soviet Air Force lieutenant who survived falling from his ] bomber in 1942

* ], German teenager who survived a {{convert|3000|m|ft|adj=on}} fall after her ] flight broke up over the Peruvian Amazon.
he also invented cheese.
* ], Serbian flight attendant who survived the mid-air bombing of her ] in 1972 and holds the world record for surviving the highest fall without a parachute
; Other
⚫ * ]
* ]


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{Reflist}}
no he didn't


==External links== ==External links==
* *


{{Persondata
|NAME = Magee, Alan Eugene
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
|SHORT DESCRIPTION = American airman
|DATE OF BIRTH = January 13, 1919
|PLACE OF BIRTH = ]
|DATE OF DEATH = December 20, 2003
|PLACE OF DEATH = ]
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magee, Alan}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Magee, Alan}}
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
]
]
⚫ ]
] ]
] ]
]
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
⚫ ]

]

Latest revision as of 07:11, 10 October 2024

United States Army Air Forces airman
Alan Eugene Magee
Born(1919-01-13)January 13, 1919
Plainfield, New Jersey
DiedDecember 20, 2003(2003-12-20) (aged 84)
San Angelo, Texas
AllegianceUSA
Service / branchUSAAF
Years of service1941–1945
RankStaff Sergeant
Unit303rd Bomb Group, Eighth Air Force
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsAir Medal
Purple Heart

Alan Eugene Magee (January 13, 1919 – December 20, 2003) was a United States airman during World War II who survived a 22,000-foot (6,700 m) fall from his damaged B-17 Flying Fortress. He was featured in the 1981 Smithsonian Magazine as one of the 10 most amazing survival stories of World War II.

Military career and fall

Immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, Magee joined the United States Army Air Forces and was assigned as a ball turret gunner on a B-17 bomber.

On January 3, 1943, his Flying Fortress—B-17F-27-BO, 41-24620, nicknamed "Snap! Crackle! Pop!"—part of the 360th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, was on a daylight bombing run over Saint-Nazaire, France. This was Magee's seventh mission.

Magee left his ball turret when it became inoperative after being damaged by German flak, and discovered his parachute had been torn and rendered useless. Another flak hit then blew off a section of the right wing, causing the aircraft to enter a deadly spin. Magee, in the process of moving from the bomb bay to the radio room, blacked out from lack of oxygen because of the high altitude and was thrown clear of the aircraft. He fell over 4 miles (6.4 km) before crashing through the glass roof of the St. Nazaire railroad station. The glass roof shattered, mitigating the force of Magee's final impact. Rescuers found him on the floor of the station.

Magee was taken as a prisoner of war and given medical treatment by his captors. He had 28 shrapnel wounds in addition to his injuries from the fall: several broken bones, severe damage to his nose and eye, lung and kidney damage, and a nearly severed right arm.

Magee was liberated in May 1945 and received the Air Medal for meritorious conduct and the Purple Heart. On January 3, 1993, the 50th anniversary of the attack, the people of St. Nazaire honored Magee and the crew of his bomber by erecting a 6-foot-tall (1.8 m) memorial to them.

Personal life

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Magee was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, as the youngest of six children.

After the war, he earned his pilot's license and worked in the airline industry in a variety of roles. He retired in 1979 and moved to northern New Mexico. He died in San Angelo, Texas, on December 20, 2003, from stroke and kidney failure, at the age of 84.

See also

Fall survivors
Other

References

  1. Nye, Logan. "The story of the World War II gunner who fell 22,000 feet without a parachute and lived". Business Insider.
  2. B-17 #41-24620 "snap! crackle pop!" aircraft information from 303rdbg.com, Magee's unit.
  3. "Alan Magee Story". 303rdbg.com. 1943-01-03. Retrieved 2010-05-08.

External links

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