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Personal info

Full name
MARTIN, John Joseph Jr
Date of birth
14 August 1915
Age
27
Place of birth
Pennsylvania
Hometown
Columbia County, Pennsylvania

Military service

Service number
O-664424
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
533rd Bombardment Squadron,
381st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
22 June 1943
Place of death
2 miles off Krabbedijke, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
L 14 20

Immediate family

Members
John J. Martin Sr. (father)
Mary M. (Pavlowski) Martin (mother)
Mary M.M. Martin (sister)
Andrew J. Martin (brother)
Bernard Martin (brother)
Mary E.B. Martin (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
42-30021
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: Antwerp, Belgium
Misson: Bombing of the Ford plant
MACR: 160

More information

The aircraft was shot down by FW 190's of II/JG26 after leaving the target. It lost a wing and crashlanded into the waters of the Oosterschelde, about 2 miles of Krabbedijke.

One crew member survived and was taken prisoner. Nine men were killed.

Seven bodies were recovered from the wreckage by divers and were initially buried in the Military Cemetery Wouseweg in Bergen op Zoom and were transfered to the Cemetery of Margraten on 4 August 1945.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree / Headstone and Interment Record

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Michel Beckers, Dhr W. de Meester/Stichting Wings to Victory, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 42-H, Goodfellow Field, Texas, Menno Polderman