| Date: 1944 Mar 02/02 | A/C Type: B-24 H Liberator | SN: 42-7645 | Code: | A/C Nickname: |  |
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| File: 602 | Airforce: USAAF | Sqn/Unit: 482 BG - 814 BS | Mission/Raid: transfer to other airfield in UK | |||||||
| 1 | Pilot | 1Lt. James N. Taylor KIA | 9 | RWG | S/Sgt Joseph D. Kennedy | |||||
| 2 | Co-pilot | 2Lt. Thomas M. Grohman KIA | 10 | TG | S/Sgt Robert A. Schroeder | |||||
| 3 | Nav. | 2Lt. Nathan L. Steinberger | 11 | Aerial m. | Sgt. R.W. Hill KIA | |||||
| 4 | B | 1Lt. Ellsworth K. Jacobson KIA | 12 | Aerial m. | Cpl. Jerome V. Just | |||||
| 5 | E | Sgt David E. Blackwelder KIA | 13 | |||||||
| 6 | RO | T/Sgt Paul F. Vankavelaar | 14 | |||||||
| 7 | BTG | S/Sgt Arthur L. Lloyd KIA | 15 | |||||||
| 8 | LWG | S/Sgt Thomas A. Byrnes | 16 | |||||||
This aircraft transferred in the evening from their base Alconbury to Seething for a raid on Germany next day. Over Seething bad weather prevented landing and in the storm they got disorientated. Eventually made a drop through the clouds and saw an airfield. However, this was over the Dutch coast at 07:00 hrs and the German Flak gunners that heard the bomber circulating opened fire. The B-24 was shot in flames near Alkmaar. Six men could use their parachutes and became POW. Six KIA. |
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The six casualties were initially buried in the Allied war graves plot in Bergen (aan Zee) in grave no. 249 to 254. They were exhumed post war and reburied in American Cemetery Netherlands in Margraten. In the 1949/1950 repatriation program, five men were reburied in their hometowns in the USA. This on request of their family. Only Sgt. David E. Blackwelder rests today in Margraten (L-7-21).
In Bergen aan Zee the empty war graves are still visible today in Plot 2, row B, the empty spaces marked 'P' towards the Cross of Sacrifice.
See: http://www.zzairwar.nl/dossiers/911.html
Read more:
- Lt. Taylor http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=222786&GRid=72232447&
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- Lt. Grohman http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=222786&GRid=3403601&
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- Lt. Sternberger http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=222786&GRid=72231503&
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- Lt. Jacobson http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=222786&GRid=38079847&
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- Sgt. Blackwelder http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=222786&GRid=56296000&
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- Sgt. Lloyd http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=222786&GRid=72232819&
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