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Personal info

Full name
CROSSLEY, Charles Henry
Date of birth
20 April 1923
Age
21
Place of birth
Montour, Columbia County, Pennsylvania
Hometown
Danville, Montour County, Pennsylvania

Military service

Service number
33462202
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Gunner
Unit
836th Bombardment Squadron,
487th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
23 June 1944
Place of death
Rue de Paloke
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Belgium

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 42 34

Immediate family

Members
Harvey Crossley (father)
Meta P. Crossley (mother)
Joel W. Crossley (brother)
Martha M. Crossley (sister)
Paul C. Crossley (brother)
Mary R. Crossley (sister)
Emily A. Crossley (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
41-28822
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: Bashful Marion
Destination: Juvincourt, France
Mission: Bombing of the airfield
MACR: 6263

More information

S/Sgt Charles H Crossley graduated from Bloomsburg High School in 1941. After graduation he worked as a truck driver for the Mausdale Quarry Company and also attended Bloomsburg’s State College.

He enlisted in wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on 1 February 1943.

According to eye witness reports from crew members of other airplanes in the group, this B-24 was hit by flak southwest of Brussels and disintegrated in the air. Not one of the nine crew members had the chance to bail out and packed parachutes and other flying equipment were seen to fall out of the plane as it exploded. It fell in peaces near a hospice in Rue du Paloke, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean

He was initially buried at the cemetery of Evere, Belgium.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com, www.ancestry.com - U.S.,
Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, http://abmceducation.org

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.findagrave.com - Paul Webber / Jim Zebora, http://abmceducation.org