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Personal info

Full name
NASH, Travis Enloe
Date of birth
9 September 1923
Age
21
Place of birth
Paris, Henry County, Tennessee
Hometown
Paris, Henry County, Tennessee

Military service

Service number
36851997
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Radio Operator/Gunner
Unit
506th Bombardment Squadron,
44th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
5 April 1945
Place of death
Wipperfürth, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
F 21 19

Immediate family

Members
Jessie H. Nash (father)
Nellie I. (Gateley) Nash (mother)
Edna B. Nash (sister)
James A. Nash (brother)
Dora L. Nash (sister)
Leona A. Nash (sister)
Iona C. Nash (sister)
Joseph W. Nash (brother)
John W. Nash (brother)
Richard H. Nash (brother)
Allen Nash (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
44-40158
Data
Type: B-24J
Nickname: Tinker Belle
Destination: Plauen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yard
MACR: 14110

More information

S/Sgt Travis E. Nash attended Grove High School.

The airplane had already lost one engine due to mechanical failure when they reached the target. Losing power and altitude, they were soon on their own as the formation pulled ahead. Then they were hit by flak, causing a fire in #2 engine. #3 and #4 engines were smoking and #1 engine had to be feathered.

At that moment, S/Sgt Nash was already killed by flak.

The decision was made to try to land near Brussels, Belgium but they didn't make it that far. When the bail-out signal was given, the pilot, George F. Brown, was already wounded. He parachuted but didn't survive. He was murdered by German soldiers, probably when he was coming down in his parachute.

The other eight crew members bailed out and were taken prisoner.

S/Sgt Nash was initially buried in an isolated grave near the crashed plane, either by German civilians or military. His grave was marked with his name and serial number. In May 1945 his remains were disinterred and transported to Margraten as Unknown X-903 and buried on 1 June 1945. After being disinterred again and being identified by process of elimination, he was again buried in a temporary grave on 25 May 1946.

Later, when the cemetery was given his final layout, he was disinterred and given his final resting place on 7 January 1949.

Source of information: Terry Hirsch, Raf Dyckmans, www.8thairforce.com, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees, IDPF

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, The Nash Family