SSGT Hulick “Homer” Barney

Familial History:

SSGT Hulick “Homer” Barney was born 24 April 1923 to Hazel Pearl Owens McQuerry and Ollie Oswald Barney and died 21 June 1944 in Germany. He attended grammar school and high school at both Benson High School and Phoenix Union High School. The Veterans of Foreign Wars incorporated his name in their Barney-Figueroa VFW Post 6271, in Benson.

In 1930, the family was living on a farm in Pool, Cochise County, Arizona. In 1940, they had moved to Pima, Graham County, Arizona and he had completed the 2nd year of high school. He was hired as a cowboy on the local ranches.

Hazel Pearl Owens McQuerry was born 20 December 1901 in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado to Rachel Manice Dinsmore and henry Alexander Owens. She died 9 December 1976 in Benson, Cochise County, Arizona. She entered into marriage with Ollie Oswald Barney, Sr. on 25 April 1918 in Cochise County and the Memorial # 62974460. Their union produce four sons.

Ollie Oswald Barney Sr. was born 20 August 1879 in Flagstaff, Coconino County, Arizona to Cora S. Burford and Luther Benjamin Barney. He died 25 June 1957 in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona. He was buried in the Saint David Cemetery, Cochise County.

Ollie Oswald Jr. was born 23 January 1919 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona. He died 16 November 2010 in Rio Rico, Santa Cruz County, Arizona. He was cremated and the ashes were spread in the Rincon Mountains east of Tucson. The Memorial # was 214540048. He served his country with the US Army during World War II and was awarded the following: Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart with two oak leaves, American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze stars, and other medals.

He was married to Beryl Jones Patton in Lordsburg, Hidalgo County, New Mexico. She was born 3 January 1917 in Wellington, Texas and died 12 June 1995 in Rio Rico, Santa Cruz County, Arizona.

Alvin Abraham was born 24 December 1920 in Benson, Arizona. He died 13 August 2001 in Searcy, White County, Arkansas. His body was returned to Benson for burial in the High Street Cemetery with his mother. The Memorial # 62974091. He served his country during World War II in the US Navy as an AM2c.

Homer was the third son born into the family.

Richard Robert 11 October 1927 in Happy Jack, Coconino County, Arizona and died 9 November 2009 in Arizona. He was buried in the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery, located in Sierra Vista, Cochise County, Arizona. The Plot was Section MM, Site 8, Memorial plaque, Cremated, ashes was spread onto the Barney Ranch in the Rincon Mountains and the Memorial # 65800193. He also served his country during World War II in the US Navy.

He married Betty Jo Baker Nelson in Maricopa County, Arizona during 1957. She was born 22 February 1929 in Arizona and died during 2007 in Arizona. They had two sons.

Service History:

SSGT Hulick “Homer” Barney registered for the draft on 30 June 1942 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was working for the Goodyear Aircraft building airplanes. His Mother, Hazel McQuerry signed as the next of kin. He was listed as 6’ tall and weighed 155 pounds.

He enlisted into the US Army Air Corps 9 March 1943 in Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona, and trained as a Right Waist Gunner, He was assigned to the 448th Bomber Group, 715th Bomber Squadron, Heavy. The obituary incorrectly states it was the 904th Bomb Group.

The 448th was organized on 6 April 1943 and activated on 1 May 1943 at Gowen Field, near Boise, Idaho. The air crew training took place in Florida before the bomber group was assembled in Wendover Field, Utah. The ground and air crews completed training at Sioux City, Iowa before being transferred to the European Theatre of Operations.

The 448th was stationed at Seething Airfield, Norfolk England, Station # 146. He arrived in England in March 1944. Seething was located 9 miles southeast of Norwich, Norfolk, England.

He was part of the B-24H Liberator #42-95075, nicknamed “The Happy Hangover” that was shot down during a mission to bomb the tank parts factory in Berlin. It was his 24th mission of the war. The plane was badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire. The controls were lost and they spiraled until the hit the ground near the target. One report stated the location of the crash was Neu-Schulzendorf, Germany.

The crew members are as follows:

R Waist Gun SSGT Hulick “Homer” Barney 39857402 Arizona

Top T Gun TSGT Allan M. Johnson 39408979 Washington#

Co-Pilot 2nd Lt John Dudley Masters O-758712 Texas^

Pilot Lt Jack Mercer O-8810916 Florida#

Nav 2nd Lt John E. Neel O-8702172 Washington#

Bomb 2nd Lt Warren G. Phillippi O-8695523 Tennessee#

RO TSGT William Rekart 35546615 Ohio#

Ball T Gun SSGT Frederick A. Schoonmaker 32732039 New York

Tail Gun SSGT Arlin W. Turner 18140048 Louisiana

L Waist Gun SSGT Jap R. Wilson, Jr. 18076005 Texas

^ denotes Prisoner of War he died 13 days after the crash

# denotes Prisoner of War and survived the conflict

His body and wrist watch were identified after the war and delivered to Benson in 1949 for the funeral. He was buried in the High Street Cemetery located in Benson, Cochise County, Arizona. The Memorial # was 62974092. His Mother, Hazel signed the headstone request.

Commendations:

Air Medal with three oak leaves

Purple Heart

Stories Behind the Stars:

Thank you, SSGT Hulick “Homer” Barney of the US Army Air Corps, for your sacrifice and service to our country.

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 400,000+ of the US WWII Fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen’ s name and read his/her story.

If you noticed anything missing in this profile, you can contact the author, Click on the author’s name located at the bottom of the story page next to the words “added by”.

The author is Dr. Jack W. Chisum, and the email is jchisum@q.com

Resources:

Hulick Barney : Staff Sergeant from Arizona, World War II Casualty (honorstates.org)

SSGT Hulick Homer Barney (1923-1944) - Find a Grave Memorial

Hulick H Barney | American Air Museum in Britain

42-95075 | American Air Museum in Britain

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6271 Benson, AZ (vfwpost6271.org)

Hulick H Barney 1923 - 1944 BillionGraves Record

Consolidated B-24 Liberator - Wikipedia

USAAF Aircraft Accidents and MACRs for June 1944 (accident-report.com)

RAF Seething - Wikipedia