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Personal info

Full name
FINCH, Lawrence Jr
Date of birth
6 April 1920
Age
23
Place of birth
Hoopeston, Vermilion County, Illinois
Hometown
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
O-732720
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Navigator
Unit
336th Bombardment Squadron,
95th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
13 June 1943
Place of death
Baltic Sea, off the coast off Kiel, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Lawrence A. Finch (father)
Daisy E. (Holmer) Finch (mother)
Marjorie J. Finch (sister)
William H. Finch (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-29680
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Battlin B
Destination: Kiel, Germany
Mission: Bombing of U-boat yards
MACR: 2751

More information

2nd Lt Lawrence Finch Jr. graduated from Kelvyn High School and was a machinist.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Chicago, Illinois on 13 March 1942 and graduated from advanced flying school at Mather Field, California, in October 1942 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was sent overseas late in March of 1943.

Statement from Captain David E. Olsson, Assistant Operations Officer:
"B-17F 42-29680, piloted by 1st Lt Joseph L. Nunes on 13 June 1943, was last seen between 54 ° to 55° N and 08° to 10° E. The aircraft was never seen in trouble or leaving the formation. On this mission, a great deal of enemy opposition was encountered (over 100 enemy aircraft), causing 10 aircraft of this unit to be lost. It is understandable that the crews returned unable to give any information concerning this missing aircraft."

The entire crew of ten men was killed. The remains of seven were never recovered and are remembered on the Walls of the Missing at Margraten. One is buried at Ardennes Cemetery, and two are buried in the U.S.A.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Astrid van Erp, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.footnote.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees, www.newspapers.com - Chicago Tribune

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.newspapers.com - Chicago Tribune, Arie-Jan van Hees