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Personal info

Full name
FLANAGAN, John
Date of birth
12 August 1925
Age
19
Place of birth
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Hometown
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Military service

Service number
33705549
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Waist Gunner
Unit
703rd Bombardment Squadron,
455th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
16 August 1944
Place of death
Mosigkau near Dessau, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
M 21 11

Immediate family

Members
James A. Flanagan (father)
Anna A. (Bernhard) Flanagan (mother)
William Flanagan (brother)
James Flanagan (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-52447
Data
Type: B-24H
Destination: Dessau, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aviation industry
MACR: 8431

More information

A graduate of Central Catholic High School. Sgt Flanagan entered the service on 23 September 1943 and went overseas on 15 June 1944.

The airplane with number 42-51098 was hit by flak and went down over the target. On its way down it knocked the wing off airplane 42-52447. Both ships went down and two to five parachutes were seen but it is not sure from which airplane the parachutes were.

Eight crew members were killed and were buried in a mass-grave at Mosigkau, together with casualties of other crashed planes, according to German records. An investigation in October 1946 revealed that between August and September 1944, four American planes crashed in the area. In some cases bodies were buried near the crashed plane, another time they were buried in mass-graves. Some of the remains could be identified at that time, others couldn't.

Also proper investigation was not possible due to political restrictions because the area was in Russian occupied territory.

One crew member was taken prisoner.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.newspapers.com - The Pittsburgh Press, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Veteran Compensation Application File

Photo source: Jac Engels, Brandon Haburjak - Central Catholic High School - Central Catholic High School yearbook 1943