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name
ASH, Merlin Thomas - Date of
birth
30 June 1922 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Tennant, Shelby County, Iowa -
Hometown
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
39278839 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Engineer -
Unit
752nd Bombardment Squadron,
458th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
24 September 1944 - Place of
death
North Sea near the Dutch Coast
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Joseph T. Ash (father)
Myrtle M. (Mellerup) Ash (mother)
Marjorie E. Ash (sister)
Caryl Ash (sister)
Beverly Ash (sister)
Jerry L. Ash (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-52348 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: Lady Shamrock
Destination: St. Dizier, France
Mission: Fuel transport
MACR: 9574
More information
Merlin T. Ash was an employee of Vega Aircraft Corporation in Burbank, California before he enlisted.The plane was fired upon and was still over Holland when it blew up and crashed close enough to the Dutch coast for the wreckage to have been found by the Dutch Coast Guard.
Six crew members were killed and their remains were never recovered. Only one crew member, Billie Hudson survived.
Five crew members are remembered on the Walls of the Missing of Margraten: James A. Soesbe, Harold Coburn, George J. Koehn, John R. Tucker and Merlin T. Ash.
Anthony J. Corlito is remembered on the Walls of the Missing at Cambridge Cemetery.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Michel Beckers, Astrid van Erp, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census, www.fold3.com - WWII Draft card
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Michel Beckers, Darin Scorza