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Submit- Full
name
ESKEW, Murray Franklin Jr - Date of
birth
19 July 1917 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina -
Hometown
San Francisco County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-723873 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
726th Bombardment Squadron,
451st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
7 February 1945 - Place of
death
Selice, Slovakia
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 32 | 27 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Murray F. Eskew (father)
Anne L. (Muir) Eskew (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
44-49216 -
Data
Type: B-24L
Destination: Korneuburg, Austria
Mission: Bombing of the oil refinery
MACR: 12074
More information
1st Lt Murray F. Eskew attended high school for 4 years and was a salesman before he joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in San Francisco, California on 27 July 1942.Sgt. Julian B. Mroczenski:
“I was flying as tail gunner in the number five ship of the lead flight. Shortly before bombs away Lt Naylor’s aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire. As soon as he was hit he peeled out of the formation right under the ship that I was flying in. When we left the target he followed us for about five minutes at an altitude of about 15,000 feet and about two miles behind our flight. I lost sight of him at about 1435 hours, I think he must have turned away from us when I had my head turned. The weather was clear at this time and I saw no parachutes leave the airplane.”
1st Lt Gerald W. Naylor:
“Two bodies were seen either blown out or dropped out of the hole made by the flak burst. I was one of the bodies and had my back chute on. Lt Eskew might have been the other body. He did not have his parachute attached to his harness.“
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Lee Bullard and associates / North Carolina Birth Index / 1940 Census, www.fold3.com, www.findagrave.com
Photo source: -