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name
DAILY, Richard Leroy Gray - Date of
birth
12 December 1922 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Snohomish County, Washington -
Hometown
Shoultes, Snohomish County, Washington
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
19017036 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Top Turret Gunner -
Unit
534th Bombardment Squadron,
381st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
8 April 1945 - Place of
death
Göttingen, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 19 | 32 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Thomas W. Daily (father)
Mina J. (Gray) Daily (mother)
Gene Daily (brother)
Helen Daily (sister)
Thomas Daily (brother)
Robert Daily (brother)
Roy Daily (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
44-6173 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Miss Florala
Destination: Stendal, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yard
MACR: 13873
More information
T/Sgt Richard Daily joined the Regular Army in Tacoma, Washington on 12 December 1944.The airplane was hit by flak in the right wing, radio room, nose and waist. It began burning but stayed in formation. The crew was able to put out the fire in the bomb bay but the fire in #3 engine was getting worse. The pilot put the airplane in a dive of 10,000 feet but couldn't get it out. He levelled up and was going to try to crash land but the airplane exploded at about 5,000 or 6,000 feet.
Six crew members were killed. Two men survived and managed to contact American ground forces.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistement Record, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census, www.8thafhs.com/db/index.php, The Herald Local News May 28, 2000,
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, Pierre en Corrie Haenen