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Personal info

Full name
COATS, Donald Edward
Date of birth
12 February 1925
Age
20
Place of birth
Rock Falls, Whiteside County, Illinois
Hometown
Sterling, Whiteside County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
36742208
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Nose Gunner
Unit
566th Bombardment Squadron,
389th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
7 April 1945
Place of death
Soltau, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
A 10 13

Immediate family

Members
William Coats (father)
Ethel M. Coats (mother)
Wilma J. Coats (sister)
James Coats (Cousin)

Plane data

Serial number
44-49533
Data
Type: B-24L
Destination: Geesthacht, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the explosives plant
MACR: 13892

More information

An ME-109 attacked from about 6 O’clock high, pulled up over the formation, and then made a tight turn and dove on the lead aircraft. Aircraft 44-49533 was flying as deputy lead of the Group. The ME-109 did off the lead ship and crashed into the deputy lead hitting it at about the cockpit. Aircraft 44-49533 peeled off to the right and had n° 1 propeller knocked off and n° 4 engine on fire. No parachutes were seen from this aircraft.

Two crew members were taken prisoner, nine were killed.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.389thbg.net, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Mireille Goedhart, Sterling High School 1942