WWII USAAF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS GROUP

This group has been laying in my office too long funny how you forget about what you have bought over the years. Staff Sgt. Peter J. Ridolfi ASN 35340302 was a top turret gunner on the B24D Bomber Dirty Gertie no. 66. The Dirty Gertie was in the 12th Air Force, 376 Bomb Group. 514 Bomb Squadron. She was shot down by German ME109’s and FW190 fighter planes near Athens Greece in October 3rd 1943. The Squadron was bombing an Air Field near Athens, also included is an Arial photograph taken that day. Sgt. Ridolfi was wounded in both eyes by 20MM cannon shrapnel that set the plane on fire. Everyone in the plane managed to parachuted safely out of the burning plane. Sgt. Ridolfi landed in some trees and wound up on a grassy hillside. From the time he jumped till when he landed he had also broken his nose. The pain from his eye wounds hid that fact. He was picked up by the underground and taken to a physician who removed his left eye. The physician only had local anesthetic to dull the pain. From the time he was shot down to safety he wore out three pairs of hob nailed shoes. There is a large gap between his being shot down and the underground passing him on to allied lines. This portion could not be told other that it took time and he wore out three set of hob nailed shoes. I have not found anything about the underground handling of Ridolfi on the internet. There are nine different photos of the Dirty Gertie but none of the crew. This will give someone and interesting story once all is fully researched. I really do not know how many Distinguished Service Crosses were awarded to flight crews particularly to a gunner. The group also includes a Numbered Distinguished Service Cross no. 22167, A Purple Heart numbered 267649, a named Sterling ID bracelet, and a crude Air Crew wing. Along with an original news paper article about his experiences There are nine photos of his plane a photo of him with his brother wearing a eye patch, a photo with his mother with a real eye patch, a Honorable Discharge dated October 12, 1944, a second discharge from a Hospital with the same date.A complete Missing Aircraft Report His Distinguished Service Cross Citation is just a generic one and does not describe the action that warranted the DSC. The US Army Air Forces Mediterranean theater of operations, General Orders No. 18 included the orders for the award of the DSC. Condition very good ++++