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name
BLASINGAME, Willis Anderson - Date of
birth
1 May 1922 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas -
Hometown
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
38424347 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner -
Unit
546th Bombardment Squadron,
384th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
12 September 1944 - Place of
death
Grünfelde, west of Kyritz, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 29 | 2 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Willis A. Blasingame (father)
Pearl M. Blasingame (mother)
Ruth M. Blasingame (sister)
Pasadina Blasingame (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-97142 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Thor, God of Thunder
Destination: Brux, Czechoslovakia
Mission: Bombing of the synthetic oil refinery
MACR: 8901
More information
S/Sgt Willis A. Blasingame Jr enlisted in Dallas, Texas on 16 December 1942.The airplane was hit by German fighters at 1105 in the #3 engine near Wittenburg, Germany. The airplane could not climb back in formation and continuously drifted behind until it was lost out of sight. The right wing fell off at 1109, and the airplane went down afire in a steep glide.
Three crew members were taken prisoner, and six men were killed.
S/Sgt Blasingame was initially buried at the cemetery of Drewen, Germany on 13 September 1944.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, 384thbombgroup.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Jac Engels, Fort Worth Star Telegram - 2 October 1944