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name
PIPHER, George F - Date of
birth
24 February 1916 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California -
Hometown
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-732573 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
455th Bombardment Squadron,
323rd Bombardment Group, Medium
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
13 December 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, 20 km southwest of Zandvoort, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
John F. Pipher (father)
Lillian C. Pipher (mother)
Fredrick C. Pipher (brother)
Pauline L. Pipher (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-34940 -
Data
Type: B-26C
Destination: Schiphol, the Netherlands
Mission: Bombing of the airfield
MACR: 1497
More information
George Pipher attended high school for four years and was a mechanic.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Los Angeles, California on 26 January 1942.
During the bombing run the formation met intense and accurate heavy flak. Immediately after the bomb release, the airplane was damaged. It peeled off to the left and began to go down rapidly, but still under control, towards the coast.
The entire crew of six men was killed. They are commemorated at the Walls of the Missing at Margraten, except S/Sgt Thomas J. Carpenter Jr, who is commemorated at the Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge Cemetery and Memorial.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.americanairmuseum.com