Corporal Donald E. Fitzmaurice

William Francis “Little Will” Fitzmaurice was his father, his mother named Margaret Ruth Lowe Fitzmaurice. The couple had 5 chldren. Donald, Richard, John, Mary and Annette.  3 sons and the 2 daughters. Donald E. Fitzmaurice was the oldest. 

He was born on 13 March 1919 in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he lived with his family until he graduated high school as Valedictorian of his class. Though he had ambitions to become a cattle rancher like his father, the Great Depression led him to join the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and eventually the US Army Air Corps in order to support his family financially.

Donald E. Fitzmaurice was the engneer/gunner in the sixth plane, the 'Green Hornet', piloted by Dean E. Hallmark and Robert J. Meder as co-pilot.

Doolittle Raiders Memorial Monument in Licioln, Nebraska

A local high school graduate lead the effort to raise funds to create a Doolittle Memorial Monument at the Veteran's Memorial Garden in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Doolittle Raid was a mission conducted in retaliation of the Japanese attack on Pear Harbor.  It was headed by James "Jimmy" Doolittle and it included 80 total men. Two of these men were from Lincoln, Nebraska. Their names were Donald E. Fitzmaurice and Richard O. Joyce.

These men put their lives on the line for the sake of the American people and they boosted American morale.  This raid demonstrated that the American will would not be deterred for any enemy.

Thank you to all the many donors and volunteers that made this happen, we are grateful for each of you! 

The following is an excerpt from a letter written in August, 1945, by Earl L. Dieter, S.J., (Capt) Chaplain, U.S. Army:

The pilot of Crew 06 (Dean A. Hallmark) headed for China, and at about 8:30 pm the night of April 18, 1942, while flying very low over the water, he noticed the gas tanks were empty and gave the order to prepare to crash. Hardly had the order been given, and without much preparation, the plane crashed into the sea, just a few hundred yards from the coast.

Bill (William J. Dieter) was riding in the nose of the plane, and when the plane crashed, the nose was broken open, apparently swooping Bill out of the plane. Capt. Nielson said that when he got out of his position, Bill was already standing on top of the plane, and that he said, "I am hurt all over". They all adjusted their life belts, and started swimming to shore. Lt. Hallmark was helping Corporal Donald Fitzmaurice of Lincoln and someone was helping Bill.

When Nielson reached shore he said he was exhausted and collapsed. On awakening the next morning, he saw the bodies of Bill and Fitzmaurice which had washed ashore. The shore where the accident took place was at the foot of a little village of 300 or 400 people, named Shipu, which in turn was about 20 or 30 miles south of Ningbo. The native Chinese built a coffin for Dieter and Fitzmaurice, and buried the both of them just over a little knoll a few yards back from the shore where the accident happened. The graves were hidden for the Japanese oocupying forces in China.

Some sources say that Dieter and Fitzmaurice were later buried in Shantou, China and then their bodies were flown over to the United States wehere they were reburried. About Shantou I'm not sure and I don't have a date when their bodies arrived in the United States. As noted in the letter, Fitzmaurice and Dieter  were originally interred at Shipu, China by Chinese civilians near the site of the crash. His body was returned to the States for reburial after interment at Schofield Barracks, Mausoleum #2 in Oahu, Hawai. On 10 January 1949, his body was relocated permanently to Golden Gate National Cemetery.

Donald E. Fitzmaurice was inducted in the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame during 1996.

Since 2014, The Cost of Courage Foundation has been proud to serve the military community through Emergency Assistance Programs that support Veterans, Military Service Members and their Families! CEO is Kelly Estes, her great uncle was Donald E. Fitzmaurice. More info about the organisation on http://www.thecostofcouragefoundation.org/index.html

Kelly, thank you very much for your contribution on this page.

Extra information:

The Story of Crew 6: William Dieter and Donald Fitzmaurice

In the early hours of April 18, 1942, the daring Doolittle Raid launched 16 B-25 bombers from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, marking the first air raid to strike the Japanese home islands during World War II. Among the brave crews, Crew 6, also known as the "Green Hornet," faced a tragic fate near the coast of China.

The Crash Near Shipu

Crew 6, piloted by Lt. Dean Hallmark, faced severe fuel shortages as they approached the Chinese coastline. The "Green Hornet" crash-landed in the ocean just a few hundred yards from the shore near the village of Shipu, approximately 20-30 miles south of Ningbo, Zhejiang province. The coordinates for this area are approximately 29.203056°N, 121.931944°E.

As the bomber hit the water, the crew members struggled to escape and swim to safety. Tragically, Sgt. William Dieter and Sgt. Donald Fitzmaurice, the bombardier and engineer-gunner respectively, drowned while attempting to reach the shore. The remaining crew members, including Lt. Hallmark, were captured by Japanese forces shortly after.

The Burial at Shipu

The local Chinese villagers, risking their lives under Japanese occupation, recovered the bodies of William Dieter and Donald Fitzmaurice. The villagers built coffins and buried them on a small slope above the beach, ensuring that their graves were hidden from the occupying Japanese forces. This act of bravery and respect highlighted the solidarity between the Chinese civilians and the American airmen.

The Journey from Shipu to Hangzhou Bay

After the crash, the surviving crew members had initially hoped to reach friendly territories. The original intention for the crew was to fly from Shipu to Hangzhou Bay, a distance of approximately 144 kilometers (about 89.5 miles). This journey would have taken them to a safer area, potentially allowing them to regroup and continue their mission or find refuge. Unfortunately, their capture and the tragic loss of Dieter and Fitzmaurice halted their plans.

Legacy and Remembrance

Years after the war, the remains of William Dieter and Donald Fitzmaurice were repatriated to the United States. Dieter’s body was initially interred at Schofield Barracks Mausoleum #2 in Oahu, Hawaii, and later relocated to Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, California, on January 10, 1949. Fitzmaurice’s final resting place followed a similar path of honor and remembrance.

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