Darr H. Alkire

Who is Darr H. Alkire?

Brigadier General Darr Hayes Alkire was a pilot of the United States Army Air Corps in 1932, the United States Army Air Forces, and the United States Air Force; and was the first commander of the World War II 100th Bombardment Group. After his 19th B-24 Liberator mission when the Lurchin Urchin crashed near Cervia, he was a POW commander until April 4, 1945; then marched to Stalag Luft III where on April 27 he was the West Compound commander until liberated.

Alkire crashed Douglas BT-2C #31-445 at Yorktown, Texas, on April 11, 1932, and was piloting the "Maui Maid" which was the first 449th Bombardment Group B-24 to land in Italy. The Maui Maid was scrapped for parts after a different crew struck an embankment. In 1958, Alkire appeared on television in 1958 regarding the "Rocket Age".