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Personal info

Full name
CRANDELL, Victor P
Date of birth
1 November 1922
Age
21
Place of birth
Baltimore, Maryland
Hometown
Baltimore, Maryland

Military service

Service number
33719277
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Waist Gunner
Unit
360th Bombardment Squadron,
303rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
22 June 1944
Place of death
Tressin, 8 km east of Lille, France

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 44 46

Immediate family

Members
Ida S. Crandell (mother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31432
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Old Glory
Destination: Lille, France
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yard
MACR: 6541

More information

Victor Crandell attended college and was a lineman.

He enlisted in Baltimore, Maryland on 5 April 1943.

The airplane received a direct hit from flak, just after bombs away. It was hit just back of #3 engine, probably in the gas tank. Immediately it burst into flames, spun off to the right and went down. Both wings snapped off as it went down.

Only T/Sgt Robert H. Johnson bailed out could and evaded capture. The remaining eight crew members were killed in the crash. They were initially buried at the village cemetery of Tressin on 23 June 1944.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.8thafhs.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.303rdbg.com

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, www.303rdbg.com