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name
FUNK, James Jesse - Date of
birth
13 April 1917 -
Age
26 - Place of
birth
McLean, McLean County, Illinois -
Hometown
McLean County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
36044560 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
32nd Bombardment Squadron,
301st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
2 November 1943 - Place of
death
Mollram, Austria
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 39 | 3 |
Immediate family
-
Members
James Funk (father)
May Funk (mother)
Guy C. Funk (brother)
Francis Funk (sister)
Dean Funk (brother)
Bernadine Funk (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30127 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft factory and surrounding industrial complex
MACR: 1094
More information
S/Sgt James J. Funk attended high school for 4 years and worked on a farm. He enlisted in Chicago, Illinois on 31 July 1941.Witness statement of Alexander Walker, S/Sgt 32nd Bomb Squadron: "I was flying Ball Turret on A/C # 42-30333 and A/C # 42-30127 was flying right wing in our second element. Fighters attacked A/C #42-30127 as it was on the bomb run and set #4 engine on fire. The plane fell back away and then came back up into position and salvoed its bombs. The fighters hit him again and #1 engine started to smoke. The plane started down in a circle for about 2000 feet and then started right down. About 9000 feet from the ground the plane blew up. No chutes came out of this plane".
The entire crew of nine men was killed. Robert E. Beutke and Raymond W. Irwin are buried at Lorraine Cemetery, Fred E. Hoop and James J. Funk are buried at Ardennes Cemetery.
Source of information: Luc van der Sterren, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.usaafdata.com, www.fold3.com– MACR, www.ancestry.com – Funk Family Tree, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Peter Schouteten