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Personal info

Full name
HUTCHINS, Arthur Aaron
Date of birth
30 March 1925
Age
19
Place of birth
Pinellas County, Florida
Hometown
Duval County, Florida

Military service

Service number
34789077
Rank
Private
Function
unknown
Unit
A Battery,
321st Glider Field Artillery Battalion,
101st Airborne Division
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
19 September 1944
Place of death
6 miles northwest of Bruges, Belgium

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 35 38

Immediate family

Members
Hoyt M. Hutchins (father)
Annie K. (Rucker) Hutchins (mother)
Jack Hutchins (brother)
Red Hutchins (brother)
Harmon Hutchins (brother)
Clement Hutchins (brother)
Jimmy Hutchins (brother)
Elmer Hutchins (brother)
Betty A. Hutchins (sister)
Mildred Hutchins (sister)
Marion (Waller) Hutchins (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
42-279442
Data
Type: Glider CG-4A
MACR: 15324

More information

Pvt Arthur A. Hutchins attended high school for 1 year and was a sales clerk at the Farmers Outlet Mart. He enlisted at Camp Blanding, Florida on 1 July 1943.

"On 19 September 1944, I was pilot of C-47A aircraft number 42-100756 and towing a CG4A Glider number 42-279442. I was leading an element of four ships and gliders to our drop zone. We all had instruments conditions over the Channel. This caused one of my ships to leave the formation. I continued on course with my three ships on 1200 feet. At this altitude we began to break through the overcast, as we broke throught we were about two miles in from the coast, in the vicinity of Bankenberghe, Belgium. As soon as we broke through the overcast I felt my glider cut. I told my Radio Operator to look out the dome so he could follow the glider. He said he pulled off to the right and struck the tow rope of the number two ship in my formation, in doing this he lost part of his wing tip and spun in. I notified my other ships that my glider had cut, and that they could continue on course. I circled down, released my rope and spotted the glider. It was a complete wreck. There was no sign of life at the scene of the wreckage. We were able to identify the glider by the number on the rudder."
Statement from Captain Robert Pristou, Air Corps.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Astrid van Erp, www.findagrave.com, www.ww2-airborne.us, www.fold3.com MACR www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov

Photo source: Jac Engels, www.newspapers.com - Tampa Bay Times 5 December 1943, www.findagrave.com