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name
DAMATO, Neil J "Nealy" - Date of
birth
29 June 1918 -
Age
25 - Place of
birth
Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Shenandoah, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-732612 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Bombardier -
Unit
332nd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
5 November 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, 300 yards off the coast of Haamstede, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
John Damato (father)
Frances Damato (mother)
Anthony P. Damato (brother)
Mary Damato (sister)
Josephine Damato (sister)
Jean Damato (sister)
Morris Damato (brother)
Harry Damato (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30166 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: You Cawnt Miss it
Target: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yard and the synthetic oil refineries
MACR: 1043
More information
1st Lt. Neil J. Damato graduated from J.W. Cooper High School in 1935 and attended Greeley State College and the University of Alabama.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States as an aviation cadet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 4 February 1942.
The following was written by Harry Slater formerly of the 94th Bomb Group:
"On November 5th, the 94th launched 32 aircraft to bomb the synthetic oil refineries northwest of Gelsenkirchen. Since the Ploesti oil production center had been bombed, this target was considered important to the German cause. Nineteen aircraft formed the lead group of the 1st Air Task Force.
Flak was light over the Dutch coast but became intense in the target area. Lt. James K. Killian and crew of the 332nd squadron in aircraft 42-30166 (You Cawn't Miss it) were observed under heavy attack. After a time, the aircraft exploded with one parachute blossoming out of the debris. Eight aircraft suffered minor flak damage".
Two crew members survived and were taken prisoner, eight were killed.
Neil Damato's brother Anthony P. Damato served in the Pacific. He was posthumously awarded the highest military award: the Medal of Honor.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census / Veteran Compensation Application File, www.angelfire.com/my/mighty8thlh/hodyost.html
Photo source: Tom Verheijden, Republican and Herald - 9 April 1945