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name
LARSEN, Garth Boyes - Date of
birth
18 September 1923 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah -
Hometown
Salt Lake County, Utah
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-806467 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Co-Pilot -
Unit
701st Bombardment Squadron,
445th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 February 1944 - Place of
death
Suhl, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 35 | 24 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Niels P. Larsen (father)
Elisabeth M. (Boyes) Larsen (mother)
Robert B. Larsen (brother)
Gorden P. Larsen (twinbrother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-52364 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Destination: Gotha, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aviation industry
MACR: 2558
More information
Garth B. Larsen attended the University of Utah for one year and was an actor. He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Salt Lake City, Utah on 30 April 1942.His brother Gordon P. Larsen was also stationed in England and was a pilot in a P-47. The brothers were stationed 40 miles from each other.
At that day, his brother was flying fighter protection for the group. After returning to his base, he talked with the members of his brother's squadron. The told him they saw a German fighter got underneath the plane and it made several strikes and a fire broke out in the tail turret. The plane wheeed out of formation, the waist gunner waved and almost immediately the saw seven parachutes open. The plane didn't explode and didn't go into a spin, but was going down in a gentle dive.
Eight crew members were killed, one survivied and was taken prisoner.
His twinbrother also served in the USAAF and flew P-47's.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees / Utah Military Records
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.newspapers.com - Deseret News 8 March 1944 / The Salt Lake Tribune 24 June 1945