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Personal info

Full name
EHRHART, Kenneth V
Date of birth
1909
Age
unknown
Place of birth
unknown
Hometown
Los Angeles County, California

Military service

Service number
6553476
Rank
Technical Sergeant
Function
Nose Turret Gunner
Unit
328th Bombardment Squadron,
93rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
19 June 1944
Place of death
30 meters behind the houses with the numbers 43 to 49
Pannebekestraat, Brugge, Belgium

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Epinal
Plot Row Grave
B 30 38

Immediate family

Members
Emery Ehrhart (father)
Lula Ehrhart (mother)
Clydean Ehrhart (brother)
Rex Ehrhart (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-110081
Data
Type: B-24-J
Nickname: Able Mabel
Destination: Pas de Calais, France
Mission: Bombing of the V1 launch sites of Fressin and Bachimont, France
MACR: 6153

More information

T/Sgt Kenneth V. Ehrhart attended high school for 4 years and was a chauffeur. He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States on 7 April 1942.

The aircraft was badly damaged by flak near Maldegem, Belgium. The number four engine caught fire, the pilot dumped the bombs and peeled and headed for the coast but all the crew were forced to bail out. The aircraft crashed at 1750 hrs. There crew members were 3 killed and 7 survived and were taken prisoner. The three casualties apparently delayed their jump too long.

The airplane came down in a field, just 30 meters behind a row of houses. At the time these houses were situated on the edge of a densely populated residential area.

T/Sgt Ehrhart's body was found in the plane.

On 3 July 2004 a memorial plaque was inaugurated that is placed on the wall of house n° 49 at the intersection with the Sint-Jozefstraat.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com – 1920/1930 Census / California Voter Registration

Photo source:
www.findagrave.com – Andy, Shansen