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name
BECKER, John Lester "Jack" - Date of
birth
24 March 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Sioux Falls, Lincoln County, South Dakota -
Hometown
Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Iowa
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-805240 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
579th Bombardment Squadron,
392nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
21 February 1944 - Place of
death
North Sea, probably some 40 miles off the coast of Alkmaar, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
John L. Becker (father)
Phoebe M. (Koehne) Becker (mother)
Beryle Becker (brother)
Verna G. Becker (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-64435 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Destination: Vorden, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the airfield
MACR: 2563
More information
John Becker was a dratsman.He entered the service on 13 July 1942 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. He was commissioned on 12 June 1943.
The airplane was hit by flak. According to eye-witness statements of crew members of other airplanes in the group, the #3 engine of the airplane was on fire after which a large explosion was observed beneath the airplane. After this explosion the aircraft was observed to be going down, out of control, and headed back towards the Dutch coast. It was subsequently concluded that the airplane had gone down in the waters off the enemy coast as no information was ever recovered on this situation, either in enemy or friendly force reporting.
The entire crew of ten men was killed.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, www.B24.net, http://iagenweb.org/ - Waterloo Daily Courier, Waterloo, Iowa, www.ancestry.com - 1930 census / WWII Bonus Case Files for Beneficiaries
Photo source: Peter Schouteten