Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
DIVIL, Kenneth David - Date of
birth
2 May 1925 -
Age
19 -
Place of birth
Smithfield, Fayette County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Akron, Summit County, Ohio
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
35765539 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
508th Bombardment Squadron,
351st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
27 September 1944 - Place of
death
Cologne, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 10 | 53 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Lewis Divil (father)
Jessie M. (Davis) Divil (mother)
Alice M. Divil (sister)
Earl R. Divil (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-98004 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Cologne, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the city
MACR: 9360
More information
Kenneth D. Divil enlisted at Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio on 30 August 1943. He was sent overseas in June 1944.1,192 bombers are dispatched to hit industrial and transportation targets. Nearly half of them hit Cologne as a secondary target.
Eyewitness account from the pilot, Jerome H. Geiger: "About a second after bombs away 150 mm. flak hit my plane, knocking out the ball turret, denting the tail and destroying the superchargers and radios. The ball turret gunner was killed instantly, his body literally "blown to bits", and the Y-operator fell out without his parachute. The rest of the crew and the plane returned to England without further incident."
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com – MACR, www.ancestry.com – Wickstrom Family Tree, www.newspapers.com - The Akron Beacon Journal, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Jac Engels, www.newspapers.com - The Akron Beacon Journal