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Submit- Full
name
THOMPSON, John Emmett Jr - Date of
birth
22 January 1924 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Kentucky -
Hometown
Whitesburg, Letcher County, Kentucky
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
13034781 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
535th Bombardment Squadron,
381st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
1 December 1943 - Place of
death
Buderich, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
John E. Thompson (father)
Lettie M. (Downs) Thompson (mother)
Virginia Thompson (sister)
Kathyleen Thompson (sister)
Jane Thompson (sister)
Newton Thompson (brother)
Billie Thompson (brother)
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
S/Sgt John E. Thompson Jr. graduated from Fleming High School.He joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army in Roanoke, Virginia on 10 May 1941.
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 / Family Trees, http://kdl.kyvl.or - The Mountain Eagle
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, http://kdl.kyvl.or - The Mountain Eagle