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name
BUTLER, Varden Ione - Date of
birth
13 August 1921 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Cornisch, Cache County, Utah -
Hometown
Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
39835712 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
418th Bombardment Squadron,
100th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
6 March 1944 - Place of
death
Addrup, near Quackenbrück, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 5 | 22 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Rufus E. Butler (father)
Eliza M. (Clayson) Butler (mother)
Norma Butler (sister)
Norvell Butler (brother)
Lerwell C. Butler (brother)
Eldren L. Butler (brother)
Larene Butler (sister)
Gerald S. Butler (brother)
Myron D. Butler (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-38059 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the electrical equipment industry
MACR: 3027
More information
T/Sgt Varden I. Butler graduated from East High school.He enlisted in Salt Lake City, Utah on 8 October 1942.
Statement of the bombardier, Capt Earl L. Richardson, who survived the crash: "After being hit by fighters, the interphone to the nose must have gone out of order for I found out later at POW camp that the pilot did give orders to bail out. The plane went into violent action and I was knocked unconscious. I regained counsciousness at 4000 ft. I bailed out through the nose for the plexi glass had been broken out. At the time I left the plane, George Jones was not in the nose, so if he is dead I believe he must have fallen out of the plane with no chute. When the plane began to fall neither of us had a chute on. For the other crew members I have no idea of what became of them."
The ball turret was hit and most likely, T/Sgt was killed at his position.
Sex crew members were taken prisoner, four were killed.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Carson Family Tree / 1930/1940 Census, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.8thafhs.com, www.newspapers.com - Salt Lake Telegram
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.newspapers.com - The Salt Lake Tribune