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Personal info

Full name
FREED, Warren D
Date of birth
18 April 1921
Age
23
Place of birth
East Chadron, Dawes County, Nebraska
Hometown
Valentine, Cherry County, Nebraska

Military service

Service number
O-701062
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
734th Bombardment Squadron,
453rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
11 August 1944
Place of death
North Sea, France

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
I 9 8

Immediate family

Members
Floyd I. V. Freed (father)
Laura E. (Hutson) Freed (mother)
Alta I. Freed (sister)
Ivan H. Freed (brother)
Henry J. Freed (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-110089
Data
Type: B-24J
Nickname: Strictly Business
Destination: Strasbourg, France
Mission: Bombing
MACR: 16006

More information

2Lt Warren D. Freed's Plane was on the way home, when it crashed in the Northsea, 16 km of North Foreland, England. His body washed upon ashore on 9 September 1944 nearby Den Helder, The Netherlands.
"On August 9 too, 36 planes loaded with 90 tons of bombs, destined for the fuel storage dumps at Strasbourg, were recalled because of unfavorable weather. Two days later (11 August 1944) however, the story was different. Two squadrons consisting of 23 planes rained their 63 tons of lethal cargo on the precious fuel dump. Lt. Freed of the 734th was forced to ditch on the way home and only three members of his crew were fished out of the icy brink. Those listed as MIA were 2nd Lts. Freed, Norton and Schmidt, S/Sgt. Blackwell, and Sgts. Byers, Labin and Reintgen. Those saved were 2nd Lt. Stevenson, S/Sgt. Soine and Sgt. Kreiss".
Mission #128, to Strasbourg.
Fuel storage facilities on the back of the Rhine took a beating from our PFF attack.

The photo on the right shows Lt Freed with his brother Ivan.

Source of information: Danny van der Groen, André Koch, Klassikat, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - 1920/1930 Census / Charlotte Mystom Tree, www.fold3.com - MACR / page 17060, www.stiwotforum.nl, www.oldbuck.com, www.aviationarcheology.com, www.8thafhs.com

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, Jeff Foss