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name
BRADNER, Vincent Joseph - Date of
birth
23 May 1916 -
Age
27 -
Place of birth
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York City, New York -
Hometown
Orangetown, Rockland County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
32426610 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
524th Bombardment Squadron,
379th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
12 August 1943 - Place of
death
Near Lindlar, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 2 | 41 |
Immediate family
-
Members
unknown
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-3199 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Calamity Jane
Destination: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of synthetic oil installations
MACR: 905
More information
S/Sgt Vincent J. Bradner lived with his aunt Georgia V. White and uncle Gilbert P. White in Orangetown, New York in 1930.He was a clerk before he enlisted on 12 August 1942 at Fort Jay, New York.
After having dropped its load of bombs on Gelsenkirchen and got through exceptionally heavy flak over the target area, the plane was heavily attacked by enemy fighters. It crashed in a field on a hillside outside the little town of Lindlar. Some records show the plane was shot down by flak.
Six men parachuted to safety, five men were killed.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Enlistment Record, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Jac Engels, 379th BG Nose Art