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name
BOULTER, Raymond A - Date of
birth
24 December 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Texas -
Hometown
Precinct 6, Smith County, Texas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-662735 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
359th Bombardment Squadron,
303rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
10 November 1944 - Place of
death
Near the autobahn Frankfurt-Cologne
Ittenbach, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Robert S. Boulter (father)
Cecile M. (Taylor) Boulter (mother)
Robert S. Boulter (brother)
Randall L. Boulter (brother)
Ida F. Boulter (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31830 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Marie
Destination: Ostheim airfield, Cologne, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the airfield
MACR: 10355
More information
1st Lt Raymond A. Boulter attended college and was an actor.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States as an aviation cadet in Dallas, Texas on 19 December 1941.
The airplane received two direct hits from anti-aircraft gunfire. #3 engine was completely blown off, right wheel came off and side panels above the bomb bay and above the wings were blown off also. The airplae peeled off to the right and went down in a moderately steep dive. It appeared to be partially under control. At that time #3 engine nacelle was on fire.
Seven crew members were taken prisoner, two were killed. Lt Boulter and T/Sgt Lewis F. Ficken were initially buried at the cemetery of Eudenbach on 11 November. Both were buried in a double grave. After the war, the remains of T/Sgt Ficken were recovered but the remains of Lt Boulter were never found. T/Sgt Ficken is buried at Margraten.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, 303bombgroup, www.fold3.com - MACR, IDPF
Photo source: Michel Beckers, 303bombgroup, Arie-Jan van Hees - Pilot Class Book 42-G Coleman Flying School Texas