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Personal info

Full name
FITZGEARL, John R
Date of birth
22 January 1918
Age
26
Place of birth
East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Illinois
Hometown
East St. Louis, St. Clair County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
36432407
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
Unit
527th Bombardment Squadron,
379th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
30 January 1944
Place of death
Schoorl, the Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
I 10 11

Immediate family

Members
Virdie Fitzgearl (father)
Leona Fitzgearl (mother)
Virdie Fitzgearl (brother)
Leona Fitzgearl (sister)
Leo Fitzgearl (brother)
Bertha Fitzgearl (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31643
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Brunswick, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aviaton industry plants
MACR: 2877

More information

Sgt Fitzgearl enlisted on 20 October 1942 in Peoria, Illinois.

The mission was to bomb the aviation industry plants of Brunswick. Due to cloud cover the city was bombed as a target of opportunity. On the way back to England, the bombers were attacked by German fighters who were sent up to intercept them. The plane crashed north of Bergen aan Zee, near Schoorl, on the Dutch coast near the Pirolavlakte.

The entire crew was killed in the crash. Their remains were initially buried at the community cemetery of Bergen aan Zee on 2 February 1944.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, Herman Wolters, WWIIMemorial.com, Archives.gov, WWII Enlistment Record, Ancestry.com, 1940 Census, Fold3.com, MACR 2877

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Arie-Jan van Hees - www.newspapers.com - St. Louis Globe Democrat 21 March 1944