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Personal info

Full name
HAWKINS, Paul Milburn
Date of birth
12 November 1910
Age
34
Place of birth
Hebbardsville County, Kentucky
Hometown
Wayne County, Michigan

Military service

Service number
36854524
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Tail Gunner
Unit
407th Bombardment Squadron,
92nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
unknown

Death

Status
Died non-Battle
Date of death
16 October 1945
Place of death
Obermassfeld Hospital #1249 (Serves Stalag 9-C) Obermassfeld Thuringia, Germany 50-10
Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 5 26

Immediate family

Members
Jacob Hawkins (father)
Hallie (Kluck) Hawkins (mother)
Marcella R. (Gessner) Hawkins (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31687
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Wabbit
Destination: Merseburg, Germany
Mission: Oil Refineries
MACR: 8883

More information

11 September 1944:
First attacked by E/A just before, during and after bombs away. In the process of making a second run on the primary target the formation became loose. The E/A attacks further broke up the formation. Just at bombs away approximately 15 E/A indented as mixed FW 190´s and ME 109´s jumped the lead group. Attacks by these E/A were in elements of 3 abreast from 6 o´clock level to high firing 20mm shells. These attacks lasted about 10-15 minutes. On passing this group they looped and dived down on the low group. Seven E/A dived on the low group from 7 o´clock high making one pass in echelons before breaking off their attack. The high group was not attacked until immediately before the rally point at 1215 hours.
He was first buried at Block HH, Row 1, Grave 13.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - World War II Prisoner of War Data File, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil / Michigan Marriage Records, www.fold3.com, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Jac Engels