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Personal info

Full name
BROWN, John Mariona "Jack"
Date of birth
26 September 1922
Age
22
Place of birth
Harrisburg, Saline County, Illinois
Hometown
Saline County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
O-556119
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
365th Bombardment Squadron,
305th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
7 October 1944
Place of death
Near Sankt Mauritz, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 14 6

Immediate family

Members
William Brown (father)
Daisy Brown (mother)
Isabelle Brown (sister)
Cordelia Brown (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
43-38151
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Zwickau, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the airfield
MACR: 9354

More information

2nd Lt John M. Brown attended the University of Illinois.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve at Chanute Field, Illinois on 16 November 1942.

The group encountered intense accurate flak. The tip of the left wing was blown off which stated a fire at the wing tip and also in No. 4 engine. The airplane went straight down in a slow spin. Eyewitnesses reported it exploded at about 8,000 feet. No parachutes were seen. Two crew members were taken prisoner, eight were killed.
They were initially buried at the community cemetery of Sprakel on 9 October 1944.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, WWIImemorial, Archives, Fold3, www.ancestry.com, The Daily Register, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/18238601, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Find a Grave - Fred, www.newspaperarchive.com - Harrisburg Daily Register