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name
SHEFFIELD, Charles Edward Jr - Date of
birth
13 July 1921 -
Age
23 - Place of
birth
Roanoke, Virginia -
Hometown
Louisa County, Virginia
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
T-062737 -
Rank
Flight Officer -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
77th Fighter Squadron,
20th Fighter Group
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
3 January 1945 - Place of
death
18 miles northwest of Ostend, Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Charles E. Sheffield (father)
Artie G. Sheffield (mother)
Billie G. Sheffield (brother)
Ralph C. Sheffield (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-13748 -
Data
Type: P-51D
Destination: Bonn, Germany
Mission: Fighter patrol
MACR: 11522
More information
F/O Charles E. Sheffield attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute.He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Miami Beach, Florida on 4 February 1943.
Statement of 2nd Lt Leo H. Kerns:
"I was flying Glory White 3 position with F/O Sheffield flying #4. At 0940 at 17,000 feet, F/O Sheffield, who had been lagging on and off since setting course, had dropped out of formation and was lost to my sight. He called Glory Leader soon after that and said that he was aborting, but cause was not understood by me. Later, I found out he had said his coolant had popped. Ground controller fixed him as being 5 miles off Ostend and advised him his briefed course. Walnut told him his course home. Ground controller called him again and asked if he was landing on Continent or returning to base, and F/O Sheffield replied that he was heading home. That was the last I heard from him on the R/T.
At 0955, F/O Sheffield gave his Mayday, saying that his plane was on fire and that he was bailing out. His position was fixed as 18 miles northwest of Ostend, Belgium, over the English Channel."
He is remembered at Lakeview Cemetery in Victoria, Lunenburg County, Virginia.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, Carla Mans, 20th Figther Group, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census / Virginia Polytechnic Institute yearbook 1942 / U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.ancestry.com - Virginia Polytechnic Institute yearbook 1942, http://www.20thfightergroup.com/kiakifa.html, www.findagrave.com - Margaret Gagliardi