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name
TRAVERSO, Elio - Date of
birth
8 September 1921 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Boston, Massachusetts -
Hometown
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
11032224 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Engineer -
Unit
322nd Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
4 March 1943 - Place of
death
4 km southeast of Oudeschild, Texel, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Aldo Traverso (brother)
Louise Tagliafico (aunt)
Evelyn Tagliafico (niece)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-24512 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Rose O'Day
Destination: Hamm, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yard
MACR: 3712
More information
Elio Traverso moved to Italy with his parents when he was six. At the age of sixteen he left his family to return to the United States where he lived with his aunt.He graduated from Rindge Technical High School.
He joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army in Boston, Massachusetts on 3 November 1941.
On the way back, the airplane was attacked by enemy fighters around 11:30 hrs.
It ditched in the Waddenzee, about 4 km southeast of Oudeschild, Texel.
Seven crew members were killed of which five are listed as missing in action. It is believed they went down with the airplane. Three men survived and were taken prisoner.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Ed Tiebax, Kathy McDermott, www.wwiimemorial.com, NARA, MACR
Photo source: Ed Tiebax, The Boston Herald - 12 April 1943