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name
SPARKS, Harold Royce - Date of
birth
10 November 1921 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada -
Hometown
Alameda County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
39099394 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Assistant Engineer/Waist Gunner -
Unit
323rd Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
30 July 1943 - Place of
death
Opijnen, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
Cemetery of the Dutch Reformed Church in Opijnen, The Netherlands
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
Immediate family
-
Members
Albert Sparks (father)
Dorothy R. (Beddeson) Sparks (mother)
Shirley Sparks (sister)
Kenneth Sparks (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-24399 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Man-O-War
Destination: Kassel, Germany
Mission: Bombing
MACR: 148
More information
Harold R. Sparks attended Yuba City High School.He enlisted in San Francisco, California on 13 August 1942.
Returning from a bombing mission to Kassel, Germany the limping aircraft was attacked by a German fighter and was shot down. 8 crewmembers bailed out but were attacked by the German aircraft. From a crew of ten, two died in the aircraft, six died as a result of the strafing, and the other two were captured by German ground forces.
Source of information: FOHF, Enlistment record / National Archives, National Archives / WWII Memorial, 91st Bomb Group, Basher82
Photo source: Basher82, John Bruce / Basher82, www.ancestry.com Greening Family Tree