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Personal info

Full name
FAWCETT, Frank Elwood
Date of birth
14 July 1924
Age
20
Place of birth
Sacramento, Alameda County, California
Hometown
Grass Valley, Nevada County, California

Military service

Service number
O-2061914
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
566th Bombardment Squadron,
389th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
5 April 1945
Place of death
Between Brouwershaven and Zonnemaire, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 23 9

Immediate family

Members
Frank Fawcett (father)
Ada M. (Elwood) Fawcett (mother)
Irma M. Fawcett (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
44-50747
Data
Type: B-24M
Destination: Plauen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yard
MACR: 1372

More information

Frank Fawcett was a mechanic.

He enlisted in San Francisco, California on 30 March 1943.

At around 0830 the pilot radioed he was losing fuel and had to make a crash landing but he didn't mention the location. Shortly afterwards it was reported from Haamstede that an American plane had been shot down between Brouwershaven and Zonnemaire. Because of this location, it is believed that the fuel spill may have led to an explosion or that the B-24 was shot down by Flak near the coast, but a failed emergency landing is also possible.

The entire crew of nine men was killed. One of the crew members, Robert W. King and six, at that moment, unidentified men were initially buried at the militaire cemetery of Haamstede.

In September 2020 a memorial with nine sculptures was errected at the location of the crash.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, www.389thbg.net, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Gerri Bourtayre, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class book 44-F, Majors Army Airfield, Texas