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Personal info

Full name
HAMMOND, James M Jr
Date of birth
31 August 1920
Age
24
Place of birth
Hope Hull, Montgomery County, Alabama
Hometown
Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama

Military service

Service number
34816783
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Left Waist Gunner
Unit
715th Bombardment Squadron,
448th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
3 March 1945
Place of death
Gross and Klein Heide, 18 miles from Salzwedel. Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
P 20 3

Immediate family

Members
James M. Hammond (father)
Lula M. (Kelly) Hammond (mother)
Nellie Hammond (sister)
Marie Hammond (sister)
George Hammond (brother)
Ella Hammond (sister)
Voncile Hammond (sister)
Kelly Hammond (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-51247
Data
Type: B-24J
Nickname: Feuden Rebel
Destination: Magdeburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing
MACR: 12885

More information

James M. Hammond, Jr. enlisted on 30 October 1943 and was sent overseas in November 1944.

From The Messerschmitt 262 Combat Diary by John Foreman & S. E. Harvey...
"B-24s were also engaged by jets near Rathenow, two bombers from the 448th BG colliding whilst taking evasive action (one hit by 30mm cannon fire)...
"..Stab, 10 and 11./JG7 then attacked near Magdeburg, harrying the bombers as far as Berlin."
Major (Rudolph) Sinner saw a combat box of Liberators...
"After judging the tactical situation, I attacked with my wingman, Lt Muller, and we made a head-on pass. After a short burst at around 800 metres with my four MK.108 cannon using mainly incendiary shells, I had great difficulty getting through the bomber formation without hitting any of them. I did see a flash on the wing of my B-24, near the fuselage. Muller was certain that he had missed the target...when the cockpit took fire from an ME262 and, out of control, collided with another B-24."

Source of information: MACR 12885, www.ancestry.com

Photo source: Michel Beckers/Hammond Family, Peter Schouteten