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name
BIDDLE, Cleon Bayard - Date of
birth
8 May 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Cedars, New Castle County, Delaware -
Hometown
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
39531608 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
527th Bombardment Squadron,
379th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
11 June 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, north of Borkum, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Bayard Biddle (father)
Letitia M. (Cleaver) Biddle (mother)
Francis W. Biddle (brother)
Cecil W. Biddle (brother)
Marjorie G. Biddle (sister)
Hazel Biddle (sister)
Vawn Biddle (sister)
Edythe A. (Romney) Biddle (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-3099 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: Willemshaven, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat yards
MACR: 1368
More information
S/Sgt Cleon B. Biddle worked in a machine shop.He enlisted in Los Angeles, California on 19 August 1942.
The aircraft was attacked by fighters over the target and on the return flight over the North Sea which set it on fire. It crashed north of Borkum Island. Only one crew member could bail out and was rescued by a German minesweeper. The other nine men drowned.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, www.379thbga.org, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Dieneke Suijkerbuijk