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Submit- Full
name
GIOVANNINI, George D - Date of
birth
22 April 1923 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
California -
Hometown
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-678236 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Co-Pilot -
Unit
535th Bombardment Squadron,
381st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
1 December 1943 - Place of
death
Buderich, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
George Giovannini (father)
Romilda F. (Demartin) Giovannini (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31111 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Four Aces - Pat Hand
Destination: Solingen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the industrial area
MACR: 1659
More information
George Giovannini graduated from Santa Rosa High School and was a Santo Rosa Junior College student and truck driver.Crew members of other airplanes in the same group stated that they saw a burst of flak very close to the #3 engine at about two minutes before the I.P. The airplane continued its way, seemingly undisturbed by it. After bombs away, the bomb bay doors remained open and after about 30 seconds it slightly turn away form the formation.
It is believed the airplane crashed in the Rhine river near Buderich. The entire crew of ten men was killed and their remains were never recovered.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com , www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / Birth Index, http://hazy.home.xs4all.nl, www.newspapers.com - The Press Democrat
Photo source: Karen Giovannini via Samantha Dieters, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 43-C, Pampa Field, Texas, www.newspapers.com - The Press Democrat