Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
GARDNER, George A "Gag" - Date of
birth
1924 -
Age
unknown - Place of
birth
New Haven County, Connecticut -
Hometown
Northford, New Haven County, Connecticut
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
11073116 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
527th Bombardment Squadron,
379th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
30 January 1944 - Place of
death
Schoorl, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 4 | 31 |
Immediate family
-
Members
George A. Gardner (father)
Helen Gardner (mother)
Josephine K. Gardner (stepmother)
Flora Gardner (sister)
Edward R. Gardner (brother)
Alice W. Gardner (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31643 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Brunswick, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aviation industry plants
MACR: 2877
More information
George A. Gardner graduated from Lyman Hall High school in 1942 and and employed at H.L. Judd Company.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Hartford, Connecticut on 27 July 1942. He was sent overseas in November 1943.
The mission was to bomb the aviation industry plants of Brunswick. Due to cloud cover the city was bombed as a target of opportunity. On the way back to England, the bombers were attacked by German fighters who were sent up to intercept them. The plane crashed north of Bergen aan Zee, near Schoorl, on the Dutch coast near the Pirolavlakte.
The entire crew was killed in the crash. Their remains were initially buried at the community cemetery of Bergen aan Zee on 2 February 1944.
S/Sgt. George A. Gardner is remembered at Saint John Catholic Cemetery at Wallingford, New Haven County, Connecticut.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, H.G. Koetsier, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.8thafhs.com
Photo source: Antoine Nouens, H.G. Koetsier, www.findagrave.com, Lyman Hall High School 1942