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Personal info

Full name
GORGON, Frank
Date of birth
23 January 1920
Age
24
Place of birth
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Hometown
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan

Military service

Service number
16113758
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Left Waist Gunner
Unit
427th Bombardment Squadron,
303rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
29 April 1944
Place of death
Sea of Smaland, Denmark

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 39 6

Immediate family

Members
Tyne Gorgon (mother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31241
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Spirit of Wanette
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the city
MACR: 4463

More information

Frank Gorgon was a toolmaker.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Detroit, Michigan on 23 September 1942.

This was his 2nd mission, his first was 2 days earlier.

The airplane received a direct flak hit in the #3 and #4 gas tanks. The tanks were punctured and considerable gas was lost. The aircraft skidded out of formation drops its bombs and feathered the #3 propeller. The pilot, Howard Bohle, tried to get back into formation, but turned away when he realized that his plane had a gas leak. Co-Pilot Bob Kerr later recounted that the crew decided to fly towards neutral Sweden. They had no enemy fighter problems to Rostock over the Baltic Sea. A lone ME-109 appeared from German occupied Denmark and the plane was subjected to an intense flak barrage. The #2 and #4 engines were set on fire, the tail was hit and flight control cables were severed. The pilot gave the bail-out signal and nine men made parachute jumps.

The aircraft crashed in the Sea of Smaland, Denmark.

One crew member, Michael Musashe was killed in the plane by the flak burst and crashed in the Sea of Smaland, Denmark.

Four crew members landed in the Baltic Sea and drowned. The were initially buried at Svind Church Cemetery, Copenhagen, Denmark.

One crew member evaded capture with the help of the Danish Underground and four men were taken prisoner.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, WWIIMemorial.com, NARA, 303rdbg.com, Footnote.com and Missing Air Crew Report

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, www.303rdbg.com, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 44-A Gibbs Field, Texas