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name
RADCLIFFE, James Alfred - Date of
birth
13 December 1920 -
Age
23 - Place of
birth
Fort Gay, Wayne County, West Virginia -
Hometown
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
16150014 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Right Waist Gunner -
Unit
412th Bombardment Squadron,
95th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
11 April 1944 - Place of
death
Bad Doberan, 9 miles west of Rostock, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 32 | 8 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Leah Radcliffe (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31798 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Rostock, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Heinkel aviation industry
MACR: 3801
More information
S/Sgt James A. Radcliffe was a mechanic.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Detroit, Michigan on 9 November 1942.
The airplane was attacked by FW 190s. All crew members managed to bail out. Three crew members were taken prisoner, and seven were killed.
According to the statement of surviving crew member 1st Lt Joseph F. Krecji, S/Sgt Radcliffe landed in the Baltic Sea and drowned. The Germans did not go out to pick him up until sometime later.
Another record that holds the statement of a Pole says that seven crew members were killed by hostile civilians at Rostock. Of this record is no further proof.
Together with the other killed crew members, he was initially buried at the New Cemetery at Rostock. All remains were disinterred by American personnel between 9 and 11 April 1947 and evacuated to Ardennes.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Detroit Free Press - 5 November 1943