Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
KILGORE, Raymond Harold - Date of
birth
22 January 1914 -
Age
29 - Place of
birth
Oklahoma -
Hometown
Harris County, Texas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
6252886 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Radio Operator -
Unit
359th Bombardment Squadron,
303rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
14 May 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, near Heligoland, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Raymond Kilmore (father)
Golda W. Kilmore (mother)
Virlyn Kilmore (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-5243 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: FDR's Formerly Patato Peeler Kids
Destination: Kiel, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the U-boats yards
MACR: 15593
More information
The airplane was shot down by enemy aircraft. Crew members of other B-17's in the group reported seven parachutes leaving the plane. It ditched near the island of Heligoland.The entire crew of ten men was killed. The remains of nine men were never recovered. Only the body of waist gunner Francis W. O'Reilly washed ashore.
Six crew members are commemorated at the Walls of the Missing at Margraten, three men are commemorated at the Walls of the Missing at Cambridge.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, 303bombgroup, www.ancestry.com - Moberly Monitor-Index 28 May 1943
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.findagrave.com - Michel Beckers / Tx Oma