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Capt. Homer Claymore was buried in Europe in a location still unknown to the family. His body and those of his crew were returned many years later and buried near St. Louis. Now, little more than stories and memories are left of the young warrior who was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. A B-17 named Crazy Horse from the 482ndBG/812thBS crashed in a lake in the Netherlands during "Big Week" Feb 20th - 26th 1944. This B-17 'G' originally built as a B-17F-95-BO. When Homer was sent to England in September of '43, he was initially assigned to the 482nd/812th until the end of October when he was re-assigned to the 305th/366th. Homer and his crew were assigned to this B-17F-95-BO #42-30280 modified to G-Standard for PFF service while in the states. Homer and his crew trained on it and he named this plane, painted the nose art on it and brought to England for the 482nd/812th. When he transferred from this unit a month later in Oct, the plane 'Crazy Horse' stayed with the 482 and Homer and his crew went to the 305th and flew combat missions on other B-17's. He was sent back to his original unit the 366th and flew the remaining missions on a new B-17G he nicknamed Crazy Horse II until the aircraft's loss on Jume 18, 1944. Capt. Claymore was Capt. Ernest A. Sikes's last roomate at Chelveston before Sikes returned to the US. |
