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Personal info

Full name
DIEDERICH, Raymond John
Date of birth
23 July 1922
Age
21
Place of birth
Iowa
Hometown
Berrien County, Michigan

Military service

Service number
36408229
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Top Turret Gunner
Unit
733rd Bombardment Squadron,
453rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Missing in Action
Date of death
22 February 1944
Place of death
Lake Volkerak, 15 km northwest of Steenbergen, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
John Diederich (father)
Donald Diederich (brother)
Joseph Diederich (brother)
Dorothy Diederich (sister)
John Diederich Jr. (brother)
Sylvester Diederich (brother)
Delores Diederich (sister)
Ruth Diederich (sister)
Robert Diederich (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
41-28615
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: Ginnie
Destination: Gotha, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the industrial area
MACR: 2895

More information

S/Sgt Raymond J. Diederich graduated from St. Joseph´s Catholic High School in May 1940. He was prominent as a football player, and in many other class activities.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States at Camp Dodge Herrold, Iowa on 10 September 1942.

177 B-24s are dispatched but they are recalled when 100 miles (160 km) inland. Since they were over Germany, they sought targets of opportunity but strong winds drove the bombers over The Netherlands and their bombs hit Enschede, Arnhem, Nijmegen and Deventer.

The aircraft was seen to be attacked hit by enemy aircraft and went down, probably by Hauptmann Herbert Huppertz of JG2. It hit the water and exploded. No parachutes were seen.

Only the remains of S/Sgt Richard C. Anderson were recovered. The other nine crew members are still missing in action and are remembered at the Walls of the Missing at Margraten Cemetery.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Marc van den Berkmortel, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com The News-Palladium 19 May 1945

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, The News-Palladium - 19 May 1945