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name
MC ALEENAN, John - Date of
birth
6 November 1908 -
Age
35 - Place of
birth
Manhattan County, New York -
Hometown
Durham, Durham County, North Carolina
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
32529461 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Left Waist Gunner -
Unit
561st Bombardment Squadron,
388th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
10 February 1944 - Place of
death
Krimpenfort, 6 km south of Vechta, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 18 | 18 |
Immediate family
-
Members
John Mc Aleenan (father)
Florence L. (March) Mc Aleenan (mother)
Carolyn M. (Macreadie) Mc Aleenan (wife)
Robert Mc Aleenan (son)
John Mc Aleenan (son)
Mary E. Mc Aleenan (daughter)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-39804 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Bad Penny
Target: Brunswick Germany
Mission: Bombing of the industrial area
MACR: 2346
More information
S/Sgt John Mc Aleenan attended Wake Forest and Brown College and was working as the President of Delivery Service as a chauffeur.He enlisted in New York City, New York on 14 October 1942.
The aircraft was reported by his squadron leader to have feathered his #3 engine about a minute before bombs away, at the same time falling behind the formation and losing altitude. Several enemy fighters jumped the airplane and on the seventh pass it was shot down. It went into a dive and when last seen just before going into the clouds the left wing was coming off.
Three crew members survived and were taken prisoner, seven were killed. They were initially buried at the Russian POW cemetery of Vechta.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, WWW.388bg.org, www.ancestry.com - 1940 census / New York, New York City Marriage Records
Photo source: Jac Engels