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Personal info

Full name
MATTAROCHIA, John
Date of birth
15 September 1925
Age
18
Place of birth
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Hometown
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Military service

Service number
13128740
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Right Waist Gunner/Assistant Engineer
Unit
337th Bombardment Squadron,
96th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
16 December 1943
Place of death
Kimswerd, Friesland, the Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
M 16 15

Immediate family

Members
Pasquale Mattarochia (father)
Mary K. Mattarochia (mother)
Gabriel Mattarochia (brother)
Frank Mattarochia (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-3265
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Holy Mackeral
Destination: Bremen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the port area
MACR: 1568

More information

S/Sgt John Mattarochia attended Connelly Vocational High School and was a telegraph messenger.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on 30 September 1942. He was transferred for advanced training to Alexandria Air Base in Louisiana.

There was a mid-air collision with aircraft 42-30860 just past Bremen, Germany.

Eight men were killed, two were taken prisoner.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, André Koch,www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – WWII Enlistment Record, www.fold3.com - MACR 1568 / 1567, http://newspaperarchive.com, www.ancestry.com - Veteran Compensation Application File, www.newspapers.com - The Pittsburgh Press

Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, www.newspapers.com - The Pittsburgh Press