Sergeant Francis Leo “Frank” or “Bud” Creegan was born 13 Apr 1922 in Henryetta, Okmulgee County, Oklahoma to Francis Leo (1887-1962) and Ellen “Nell” nee Devine (1885-1975) Creegan, Senior. They moved to Fort Scot by 1928 where Senior was a wholesale hardware salesman. Junior was the youngest children; his siblings were: Rose and Helen..

Bud graduated from high school, where he was the VP of his senior class and graduated from junior college as well. He registered for the draft on 30 June 1942 from Fort Scott where he was working for the Fort Scott Tribune as reporter and photographer. He entered Army active duty on 13 July 1942 from Jefferson Barracks in St Louis, Missouri. He became a member of the 550th Bomb Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, 8th Air Force as a photographer.

Wikipedia article:

“During World War II, it was active as the 385th Bombardment Group (Heavy), an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit, stationed at RAF Great Ashfield, England. The group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wulf Assembly Plant at Marienburg in East Prussia on 9 October 1943…

“Under Eighth Air Force based in England, the 385th BG operated primarily as a strategic bombardment organization until the war ended, striking such targets as industrial areas, air bases, oil refineries, and communications centers in Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Norway. The group received two Distinguished Unit Citations for bombing an aircraft factory at Regensburg on 17 August 1943 after a long hazardous flight over enemy territory.”

From find a grave:

“Frank "Bud" Creegan was the photographer assigned to Pilot John N. Hutchison and crew's final mission during Big Week, part of a united effort between US and England to bomb the dickens out of German Air Force to help clear the way for the D Day invasion. This was their 25th and final mission and they would be going back to the US.

“Then unexpectedly their plane collided over Reedham, England with another B17 just minutes from the safety of base due to the engine failure on the other bomber flown by Lt Warren Pease. Both plane wreckages were found 800 yards apart, 21 US servicemen died. A parachute was recovered from Hutchison's Sleepy Gal 2 bomber and today it's in the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio.

“A British documentary "Time Team Reedham Marshes" season 6 episode 8 is on Youtube.com and tells this story. Also retold as part of 2 books by Ian McLachlan. A memorial plaque in Reedham, England was dedicated thanks to the author Ian McLachlan and the 385th bomb squad association.

“Frank L "Bud" Creegan was photographing the 25th mission. His camera was recovered but no film survived the fire. Bud's remains are buried in Oklahoma with his parents.”

And so on 21 Feb 1944, SGT Creegan was killed in action with his crew mates (and another ten crew of the second plane) while on the B17G Flying Fortress #42-31370 in Reedham Marsh, Norfolk, England. He and both crews are remembered there now. He also has a gravestone in El Reno, Canadian County, Oklahoma with his parents.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find a Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of the WWII fallen. SBTSProject/Kansas/Bourbon

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute to it, please email feedback@storiesbehindthestars.org.

Sources:

Find a Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33355498/francis-leo-creegan

Draft card: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/25098526:2238?tid=&pid=&queryId=df3e24374d091be200e90864f2890bd0&_phsrc=vgl14&_phstart=successSource

Gravestone in Reedham: https://www.gravestonephotos.com/public/cemetery.php?cemetery=1674&scrwidth=1258

Enlistment record: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/4279526:8939?tid=&pid=&queryId=df3e24374d091be200e90864f2890bd0&_phsrc=vgl17&_phstart=successSource

1930 census: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/32411869:6224?tid=&pid=&queryId=3ab7eb30dc84822df9b80800fe1ce216&_phsrc=vgl23&_phstart=successSource

1940 census: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/57851039:2442?tid=&pid=&queryId=b46315e24669cbadf44817449dc70f2f&_phsrc=vgl33&_phstart=successSource

USAAF Data: http://usaafdata.com/?q=node/139258

American Air Museum: https://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/5459

B17 Flying Fortress: https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/?s=31370

Creegan, Frank L