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Submit- Full
name
O'CONNELL, Raymond Burke - Date of
birth
13 December 1920 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey -
Hometown
Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
32457080 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Radio Operator -
Unit
360th Bombardment Squadron,
303rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
29 November 1943 - Place of
death
Harpstedt, 25 km southwest of Bremen, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Edward J. O'Connell (father)
Mildred A. (Burke) O'Connell (mother)
Lorette O'Connell (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-29498 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Mumsie aka Dark Horse
Destination: Bremen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the port
MACR: 1657
More information
Raymond B. O'Connell was employed by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey as a laboratory technician.He enlisted in Newark, New Jersey on 7 August 1942.
Sgt Raymond B O'Connell was substituting for S/Sgt Gayther B Crowder.
The aircraft was hit by flak just after bombs away with the bomb bay doors still open. The right horizontal stabilizer, part of the right wing and two engines were lost. A third engine caught fire.
The B-17 was also under attack by FW-190 German Fighters.
Seven crew members were killed, four men survived. The crew exceptionally consisted of eleven men because there was a photographer on board.
It is believed that, together with Sgt Nellins P. S. Egge, he was killed by German civilians after they had safely parachuted to the ground.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.8thafhs.com/db/index.php, www.findagrave.com, www.303rdbg.com
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Fred Munckhof, John McParland - Jersey Journal Newspaper - 6 January 1944