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Personal info

Full name
HINE, Thomas Luther
Date of birth
29 August 1920
Age
23
Place of birth
Corregidor Island, Cavite Province, Calabarzon, Philippines
Hometown
Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma

Military service

Service number
O-692312
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Navigator
Unit
506th Bombardment Squadron,
44th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
29 June 1944
Place of death
Gerwisch, northeast of Madgeburg, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 2 52

Immediate family

Members
Virgil S. Hine (father)
Mildred V. (Wing) Hine (mother)
Jack S. Hine (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
41-28829
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: My Everlovin Gal
Destination: Magdeburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Krupp-Grusonwerke armaments industry
MACR: 7093

More information

The aircraft hit the right wing of aircraft #42-51181 as it was attempting to pull out of formation after sustaining flak hits. This occurred at 0952 hours over the target of Magdeburg, 30 seconds after bombs away. It caught fire and exploded.

S/Sgt Walter V. Lawrence, the left waist gunner, who was one of the survivors, stated after the war, "Our mission was to Magdeburg, 29 June 1944. We were on the bomb run and flak was very heavy. I was flying left waist, the bombs were dropped, and then we received some damage from a close one. Pilot Westcott called me to check the damage in the bomb bay. As I opened the interior door (to the bomb bay), fluid from the hydraulic reservoir was pouring out, and the bomb bay doors were still open, all the bombs had cleared."

Three crew members survived and were taken prisoner, six men were killed.

Lt Hines was initially buried at the prisoners' cemetery of Gerwisch as Unknown. From there, he was disinterred by an American Graves Registration Company, labelled as Unknown X-7665 and evacuated to Lorraine Military Cemetery, where he was buried in a temporary grave on 2 October 1946. His remains were again disinterred on 31 March 1948 and transported to Ardennes, where he could be identified. He was given his final resting place on 2 August 1950.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, 44th BGVA, WWII Draft Card, 1930 US Census, IDPF
Photo source: Jac Engels, Dr Ted Hine - nephew