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name
IRWIN, Raymond W - Date of
birth
29 September 1920 -
Age
23 - Place of
birth
Kansas -
Hometown
Elm Creek, Morris County, Kansas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-667297 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Bombardier -
Unit
32nd Bombardment Squadron,
301st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
2 November 1943 - Place of
death
Mollram, Austria
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| K | 27 | 26 |
Immediate family
-
Members
William H. Irwin (father)
Rosa W. Irwin (mother)
Lorene Irwin (sister)
Leora Irwin (sister)
William Irwin (brother)
Irvin Irwin (brother)
Rosale Irwin (sister)
Lloyd Irwin (brother)
Jesse G. Irwin (brother)
Jean E. Irwin (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30127 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: Wiener Neustadt, Austria
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft factory and surrounding industrial complex
MACR: 1094
More information
1st Lt Raymond W. Irwin attended 2 years of college before he volunteered for the U.S. Army in Fort Riley, Kansas on 27 February 1942.Witness statement of Alexander Walker, S/Sgt 32nd Bomb Squadron: "I was flying Ball Turret on A/C # 42-30333 and A/C # 42-30127 was flying right wing in our second element. Fighters attacked A/C #42-30127 as it was on the bomb run and set #4 engine on fire. The plane fell back away and then came back up into position and salvoed its bombs. The fighters hit him again and #1 engine started to smoke. The plane started down in a circle for about 2000 feet and then started right down. About 9000 feet from the ground the plane blew up. No chutes came out of this plane".
He was taken prisoner and died of his injuries in a hospital in Austria. The entire crew of nine men was killed. Robert E. Beutke and Raymond W. Irwin are buried at Lorraine Cemetery, Fred E. Hoop and James J. Funk are buried at Ardennes Cemetery.
He is remembered at the Wilsey Cemetery in Wilsey, Morris County, Kansas.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – WWII Enlistment Record / World War II Prisoners of War Data File, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / 1930 Census, www.fold3.com, www.findagrave.com – Have Paws will travel / Mae, http://aircrewremembered.com/USAAFCombatOperations/Nov.43.html
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Mae - courtesy of Kathy McDermott