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Personal info

Full name
TREAT, Matthew Frank
Date of birth
15 April 1923
Age
20
Place of birth
Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Hometown
Red Hook, Dutchess County, New York

Military service

Service number
12144019
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Ball Turret Gunner
Unit
566th Bombardment Squadron,
389th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
24 February 1944
Place of death
In the vicinity of Bad Liebenstein, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
A 32 26

Immediate family

Members
Miner S. Treat (father)
Estelle M. (Dubois) Treat (mother)
Miner S. Treat Jr. (brother)
Sarah A. Moore (Aunt)

Plane data

Serial number
42-109828
Data
Type: B-24J
Destination: Gotha, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aviation industry
MACR: 2927

More information

S/Sgt Matthew F. Treat worked at Schaffer's Store machine shop.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in New York City, New York on 19 September 1942.

Eyewitness reported seeing aircraft smoking and one engine feathered. Enemy fighters went after them and the tail gunners of the formation opened up to help but the enemy fighters hit the No. 2 engine and the prop stopped dead and the engine exploded. Seven parachutes were observed.

Six crew members survived and were taken prisoner. Five were killed. Their bodies were found in the wreckage.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, Peter Schouteten, www.389thbg.net, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, www.fold3.com - MACR, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Mireille Goedhart, www.newspapers.com - Poughkeepie Eagle-News