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Personal info

Full name
CHRISTENSEN, Willard Melvin
Date of birth
17 March 1919
Age
25
Place of birth
Cavalier County, North Dakota
Hometown
Parsons, Labette County, Kansas

Military service

Service number
37094312
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Tail Gunner
Unit
331st Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
19 May 1944
Place of death
Oderbergerstrasse 38/39
Berlin, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Albert Christensen (father)
Agnes J. Christensen (mother)
Fred Christensen (brother)
Bert Christensen (brother)
Teresa Christensen (sister)
Blanche Christensen (sister)
Ole Christensen (brother)
Alton Christensen (brother)
Manley Christensen (brother)
Buelah Christensen (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31540
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Miss Donna Mae II
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the city
MACR: 4946

More information

The plane had 10 crew members and 1 passenger, T/Sgt John B. Davis, on board. The airplane was hit by a 1000 lb. bomb from an aircraft flying overhead in the High Squadron. The tail section of the aircraft was broken off and the aircraft went down in what appeared to be a straight nose dive. One wing was observed to fall off when the aircraft was about 13,000 feet. Two parachutes were observed. This accident occured directly over the target on signal of bombs away.

The entire crew of 11 was killed and first buried at the POW Cemetery in Elsgrund-Döberitz between 24 and 31 May 1944. In June 1951 an investigation was conducted to find several American deceased at the grounds where the POW Cemetery of Döbertiz was situated. The former caretaker, however, stated that the Americans exhumed their remains in 1947, in 1948 the French and in 1949 the Italians, Germans and Russians completely exhumed the cemetery. This was done systematically, field by field, row by row. In late 1949 the former cemetery site was returned to its German owner. In 1951 it was planted with potatoes. The conclusion of the investigation was that when the cemetery finally was disinterred all remains left, were evacuated to Russian or German Honor cemeteries and buried in unmarked graves.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Mireille Goedhart, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, Footnote, www.findagrave.com - kateb, www.ancestry.com - 1930 census / 1940 census, IDPF of Herald R. Boyd

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Mr. Kent Amoth