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Submit- Full
name
CHOUINARD, Herbert William "Bill" - Date of
birth
19 December 1922 -
Age
21 -
Place of birth
Montville, Morris County, New Jersey -
Hometown
Norwalk, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-818112 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
401st Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
2 November 1944 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Leipzig, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| E | 12 | 35 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Edmund H. R. Chouinard (father)
Bertha C. (Rost) Chouinard (mother)
John E. Chouinard (brother)
Anna L. Chouinard (sister)
Richard E. Chouinard (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31883 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: The Jub Jub Bird
Destination: Merseburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the synthetic oil plants
MACR: 10304
More information
1st Lt Herbert W. Chouinard was employed at the Hat Corporation of America before he joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Hartford, Connecticut on 31 August 1942.T/Sgt Henry N. Haeckl:
We were flying at approximately 27,000 feet altitude, shortly after bombs away. Aircraft B-17G, 42-31883, suffered a direct hit at this time by flak. The flak shell burst immediately under the pilot’s compartment and the aircraft blew up immediately. The cockpit, sides, and top around the pilot’s position blew out of the ship. There was just one belch of flame and a puff of smoke, presumably it was an oxygen explosion. Subject aircraft passed under us, headed downward in a steep dive. No parachutes were seen to come from this ship.
2nd Lt Ray L. Nickola:
He appeared unconscious after the explosion, He made no effort to help me pull the ship out of its dive, he had no chute on. He properly went in with the ship.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / WWII Draft Cards Young Men / Zagorski Family Tree, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.findagrave.com – Russ Pickett
Photo source: www.findagrave.com – Jeffd / Al Skiff / D Finch