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Personal info

Full name
WOLFORT, Joseph
Date of birth
10 June 1920
Age
23
Place of birth
St. Louis, Missouri
Hometown
St. Louis, Missouri
Religion
Jewish

Military service

Service number
O-674882
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
503rd Fighter Squadron,
339th Fighter Group
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Died of Wounds
Date of death
27 May 1944
Place of death
Münster, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 7 17

Immediate family

Members
Rowland Wolfort (father)
Sadie W. Wolfort (mother)
Cecile Wolfort (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-106755
Data
Type: P-51B
Desitnation: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bomber escort
MACR: 5277

More information

Joseph Wolfort graduated from Soldan High School. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in March 1943.

According to 2nd Lt Robert B. Brown, who was flying in the same mission, the airplane of Lt Wolfort was hit by flak in the vicinity of Uelzen, Germany. He then rolled the plane and bailed out. He landed in Amelsbüren, south of Münster.

Lt Wolfort was wounded and was taken to the army hospital in Münster, where he died the same day. He was initially buried at the hospital cemetery on 30 May 1944.

Given the location where he bailed out, it can be assumed that the information of Lt Brown about the location where his airplane was hit by flak, is not accurate.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census, www.newspapers.com - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Photo source: Arthur G. Rosen, Peter Schouteten, www.newspapers.com - St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 43-C, Brooks Field, Texas.