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Personal info

Full name
FLAHARTY, Jack Lansing
Date of birth
20 January 1923
Age
21
Place of birth
Clearfield, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania
Hometown
Bufallo, Erie County, New York

Military service

Service number
32830737
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Ball Turret Gunner
Unit
391st Bombardment Squadron,
34th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
19 October 1944
Place of death
Ludwigshafen, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 28 13

Immediate family

Members
Lansing Flaharty (father)
Alice (Forcey) Flaharty (mother)
Charlotte Flaharty (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
43-38300
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Mail Call
Destination: Mannheim, Germany
Mission: Bombing of a tractor plant
MACR: 9467

More information

Jack Flaharty attended high school for two years and worked in an aircraft factory.

He enlisted in buffalo, New York on 30 January 1943.

The airplane received a direct flak hit in engine #2 and the wing tank, starting a fire. Crew members of others B-17s in the group saw a propeller and a cowling fall off. The Airplane peeled out of formation to the left under the formation and appeared still under control as it entered the clouds 2000 feet below the formation.

One crew member survived, nine men were killed.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, WWII Draft Card, 1930 US Census, www.fold3.com

Photo source: Jac Engels