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name
EVANS, Thomas Baker Jr - Date of
birth
24 August 1925 -
Age
19 -
Place of birth
Marion County, South Carolina -
Hometown
Marion, Marion County, South Carolina -
Ethnicity
White
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
34845769 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
567th Bombardment Squadron,
389th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Died non-Battle - Date of
death
7 May 1945 - Place of
death
Engers Bridge
Koblenz, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Thomas B. Evans (father)
Mary M. Evans (mother)
More information
Sgt Thomas B. Evans Jr. graduated from Marion High School.He enlisted at Fort Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina on 9 Ocotber 1943 and trained in Mississippi, Nebraska and Texas. He had been overseas since January 1945.
Sgt Evans was a gunner with the 567th Bomber Squadron
Trolley missions were flown in early May 1945. The purpose being to provide all crew and ground personnel the opportunity to see the results of their contribution in the strategic air war against Germany. Many precautions were taken on these missions, and the most responsible and experienced pilots were chosen to fly. There were no trolley missions flown in bad weather. Despite such precautions, accidents occurred, such as this.
The crew decided to circle the cathedral in Koblenz. Presumably the airplane unfortunately flew much too low and collided with supply lines, which were stretched over the river Rhine. Due to the low altitude an evasive maneuver of the airplane was not possible any more. The plane crashed into one of the bridge piers.
All nineteen men aboard were killed, and the remains of only six of them were recovered.
Sgt Evans was one of the 15 passengers on this flight with a B-24J with serialnumber 44-10620.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.389thbg.net, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com Florence Morning News
Photo source: Peter Schouteten