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name
JORDAN, Harold William - Date of
birth
23 October 1923 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Wayne County, Indiana -
Hometown
Cambridge City, Wayne County, Indiana
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
15331479 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
335th Bombardment Squadron,
95th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
30 July 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, near Knokke, Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
James H. Jordan (father)
Mable (Cammack) Jordan (mother)
Rupert Jordan (brother)
Maurice C. Jordan (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30192 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: Kassel, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Fieseler aviation industry
MACR: 217
More information
S/Sgt Jordan graduated from Spartanburg High School with the Class of 1941. He had been active in sports, especially basketball and baseball. He also attended college for one year and was a bookkeeper.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana on 10 September 1942.
The aircraft was hit by flak about 10 minutes inland from Knokke, Belgium at 0807. The oxygen and hydraulic systems were knocked out and three engines failed. The crew was told to stand by to bail out. Five men bailed out immediately. The pilot realized he could handle the aircraft and countermanded his order. He then made a course for the nearest point on the English coast and landed six miles off Dover where the remainder of the crew were saved.
When S/Sgt Jordan jumped out of the plane, he was wounded, probably by enemy fire. He was last seen when he hit the water.
Two crew members were killed, three were taken prisoner and five men, who stayed in the airplane, returned to duty.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Carla Mans, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - National Road Traveler 1943 / U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, www.newspapers.com - Palladium-Item
Photo source: Olga Bartholomeus, Dr. Richard M. Jordan (nephew) - courtesy of Kathy McDermott