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name
LEAHY, David Francis - Date of
birth
8 November 1921 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Chemung County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
12216555 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
4th Bombardment Squadron,
34th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 August 1944 - Place of
death
Kraienwisch, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 10 | 23 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Paul P. Leahy (father)
Eudora B. (Palmer) Leahy (mother)
Paul P. Leahy Jr. (brother)
Julia M. Leahy (sister)
Grace M. (Luttrell) Leahy (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-94780 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: Smitty
Destination: Kiel, Germany
MACR: 8463
More information
David Leahy graduated from St. Thomas More High School in 1941. He was a student at St. Joseph's College when he joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Buffalo, New York on 14 December 1942.The airplane received a direct flak hit in the #1 engine. The engine burst into flames, which seemed to spread over the entire aircraft. The left wing disintegrated as the plane went down. One crewman reported that this plane exploded near the ground.
One crew member survived and was taken prisoner. Seven men were killed.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.newspapers.com - The Philadelphia Inquirer, www.ancestry.com - Veteran Compensation Application File / Family Trees
Photo source: Jac Engels