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Personal info

Full name
MAY, Donald G
Date of birth
29 August 1916
Age
27
Place of birth
Aurora, Kane County, Illinois
Hometown
Aurora, Kane County, Illionis

Military service

Service number
36318074
Rank
Technical Sergeant
Function
Right Waist Gunner
Unit
332nd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Missing in Action
Date of death
5 November 1943
Place of death
North Sea, 300 yards off the coast of Haamstede, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
John H. May (father)
Susie M. (Pfeiffer) May (mother)
John R. May (brother)
Lucile M. May (sister)
Willie May (brother)
Irene C. May (sister)
William A. May (brother)
Evelyn M. May (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-30166
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: You Cawnt Miss it
Target: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of th marshalling yard and the synthetic oil refineries
MACR: 1043

More information

T/Sgt Donald G. May enlisted at Camp Grant, Illinois on 12 February 1942.

The following was written by Harry Slater formerly of the 94th Bomb Group:
"On November 5th, the 94th launched 32 aircraft to bomb the synthetic oil refineries northwest of Gelsenkirchen. Since the Ploesti oil production center had been bombed, this target was considered important to the German cause. Nineteen aircraft formed the lead group of the 1st Air Task Force.
Flak was light over the Dutch coast but became intense in the target area. Lt. James K. Killian and crew of the 332nd squadron in aircraft 42-30166 (You Cawn't Miss it) were observed under heavy attack. After a time, the aircraft exploded with one parachute blossoming out of the debris. Eight aircraft suffered minor flak damage".

Two crew members survived and were taken prisoner, eight were killed. The remains of T/Sgt May were never recovered.

T/Sgt Donald G. May is remembered at the River Hill Memorial Park, North Aurora, Illinois

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.ancestry.com - 1920 census / 1930 census / 1940 census / Family Tree, www.angelfire.com

Photo source: Tom Verheijden, http://billiongraves.com, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree