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Personal info

Full name
STARR, Henry Palmer
Date of birth
5 November 1920
Age
23
Place of birth
Yonkers, Westchester County, New York
Hometown
New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Military service

Service number
13031489
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Tail Gunner
Unit
66th Bombardment Squadron,
44th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
30 September 1944
Place of death
Nordwalde, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 18 6

Immediate family

Members
Graham Starr (father)
Helen (Palmer) Starr (mother)
Maudie M. (Klein) Starr (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
44-10531
Data
Type: B-24J
Nickname: My Sad Ass
Destination: Hamm, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yards
MACR: 9370

More information

S/Sgt Henry P. Starr worked in an aircraft factory before he volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on 16 December 1941.

Statement from 1st Lt Veryl P. Bevelacqua:
"Just after bombs away at 1324 hours at the target at Hamm, Germany, AC #531, which was flying #3 position in the low squadron, was apparently hit by flak and was last observed at 1325 hours to leave the formation, dropping below apparently under control."

Eight crew members were taken prisoners, only S/Sgt Starr was killed.

According to witness statements of surviving crew members, S/Sgt Starr was found dead at his position in the tail turret. The entire top of his head was gone. Gunner Wiener had taken S/Sgt Starr out of the tail turret and prepared to put him on a static line, but the airplane virtually blew up and Wiener had no time. A German soldier had found him in the wreckage and buried him near it.

According to documents that can be found in the National Archives, he was "captured by farmer Proebsting" and buried at the cemetery of Nordwalde on 4 October 1944.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil / 1940 Census / Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, www.fold3.com, New York Birth Index

Photo source: www.findagrave.com