Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
SYMONS, Thomas William III - Date of
birth
1 November 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Spokane, Spokane County, Washington -
Hometown
Portland, Yamhill County, Oregon
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-791984 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
368th Bombardment Squadron,
306th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
22 February 1944 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Dermbach, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| K | 7 | 7 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Thomas W. Symons Jr. (father)
Frances G. (Rutter) Symons (mother)
Virginia P. Symons (sister)
Francis R. Symons (brother)
Katherine T. Symons (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31406 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Alexander
Destination: Bernberg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft production center
MACR: 2650
More information
Thomas W. Symons III initially joined the R.C.A.F. in Canada and was assigned to the R.A.F in England as a volunteer with the British forces early in the war. He served with the R.A.F. a year and then transferred to the USAAF.The airplane was attacked by German fighters and broke into pieces at high altitude. Fragments were found in a circle about 2 km wide. the middle portion of the fuselage with the middle portion of the wings came down about 500 meters south of Dernbach.
Five crew members were killed and initially buried at the cemetery of Dernbach. Five men survived and were taken prisoner.
According to surviving crew members, Lt Symons was too badly wounded or maybe already killed, due to the direct hits in the front of the airplane, to bail out.
Source of information: Andre Koch, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / My Parker Tree / Headstone and Interment Record, www.fold3.com, www.8thafhs.com, www.findagrave.com - NWpioneer
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet, www.lakesideschool.org