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Personal info

Full name
GILSON, Theodore Thomas
Date of birth
25 April 1925
Age
19
Place of birth
Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey
Hometown
Hudson County, New Jersey

Military service

Service number
32938404
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Tail Gunner
Unit
346th Bombardment Squadron,
99th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
26 December 1944
Place of death
Between Teichen and Rehwalden, about 8 miles southeast of Cosel, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 21 3

Immediate family

Members
Theodore Gilson (father)
Mary (Falles) Gilson (mother)
Francis Gilson (sister)
Veronica Gilson (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
44-6663
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Blechhammer, Germany
Mission: Operational bombing
MACR: 10939

More information

Sgt Theodore T. Gilson graduated from Henry Snyder High School in 1942.

He enlisted in Newark, New Jersey, on 18 June 1943.

James H. Jackson:
"I was flying in position number one, in ship number 729, as aerial engineer, on 26 December 1944. Just after we closed our bomb doors, I noticed ship number 663 had number two engines on fire. At that time, I saw one parachute leave the airplane, which I believe was the tail gunner. Ship 663 pulled out away from the formation and the pilot seemed to be pulling the nose up and down to stop the fire. The fire stopped one or twice for a few seconds. After the number two engine of 663 had been on fire for three or four minutes, I saw ship 663 nose down and the tail twisted off about even with the waist windows and two more of the crew members jumped and the parachutes opened. I watched 663 until it hit the ground and exploded."

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com, www.ancestry.com - 1930 census - Enlistment, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Snyder High School 1942