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name
VANDER SCHOOT, Gerrit - Date of
birth
16 December 1916 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois -
Hometown
Cook County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
36344030 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Engineer/Gunner -
Unit
456th Bombardment Squadron,
323rd Bombardment Group, Medium
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
18 April 1944 - Place of
death
North Sea, off the shore of Dunkirk, France
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Chicago, George Vander Schoot (father)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-31873 -
Data
Type: B-26B
Destination: Dunkerque, France
Mission: Bombing of gun positions and a marshalling yard
MACR: 4003
More information
Gerrit Vander Schoot attended enlisted in Chicago, Illinois on 2 June 1942 and was sent overseas in February 1943.This airplane was hit by flak in the nose, it pulled up under B-26 # 41-35006 and rammed its tail. Both aircraft crashed into the see.
The entire crew of five men was killed.
When Sgt Vander Schoot deployed, he was engaged to Clara Togtman. Clara never married, and when she passed away on 17 May 2023, her obituary listed Gerrit as her loving fiance who preceded her in death.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR
Photo source: Dave Jeglinski, Laurel Grimm