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Personal info

Full name
PETERSON, Roger E
Date of birth
23 June 1924
Age
20
Place of birth
Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota
Hometown
Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota

Military service

Service number
O-707106
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Navigator
Unit
567th Bombardment Squadron,
389th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Died of Wounds
Date of death
23 June 1944
Place of death
Luckenwalde, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 34 3

Plane data

Serial number
42-50371
Data
Type: B-24H
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Destination: Bombing of the city
MACR: 6532

More information

2nd Lt Roger E. Peterson graduated from Robbinsdale High School. He was a bookkeeper and a clerk at Dayton Co.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 18 September 1942. He was sent overseas in April, 1944

The mission took place on 21 June.

The airplane was attacked over the target by approximately 20 to 40 enemy fighters. Eight crew members survived. One crew member, Hugh Boynton, died in the plane. He is remembered at the Walls of the Missing at Margraten Cemetery.

Lt Peterson managed to bail out but was seriously wounded. He died two days later due to puncturing of the bladder and intestines by shell splinters in the POW camp hospital of Stalag III-A in Luckenwalde.

He was initially buried at the cemetery of the camp.

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

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Minneapolis Star - 17 September 1944