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Personal info

Full name
JONES, Jerald Henry
Date of birth
12 March 1917
Age
26
Place of birth
Hector, Pope County, Arkansas
Hometown
Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona

Military service

Service number
18097038
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Tail Gunner
Unit
324th Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
21 May 1943
Place of death
North Sea, north of Schiermonikoog, the Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
James H. Jones (father)
Martha (Gross) Jones (mother)
Auga Jones (sister)
Otho A. Jones (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
41-24515
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Jersey Bounce / Marie Jane
Destination: Wilhemshaven, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat yards
MACR: 3458

More information

Jerald H. Jones's father died in 1919 and his mother in 1921, leaving three orphaned children. The children then lived with various relatives. Jerald was living with his great grandparents in 1930. Sometime before 1930, his uncle, James Ealon Gross, left Arkansas and moved to Arizona. Each of the three children separately moved to Arizona, presumably as their uncle procured employment for them.

S/Sgt Jerald H. Jones worked on a farm.

He volunteered for the Army of the United States in Arizona on 9 March 1942. He trained at Sheppard Field, Texas, McDill Field, Florida and Walla Walla, Washington. He was sent overseas in September 1942.

The airplane was shot down by enemy fighters. The entire crew of ten men was killed.

Note: His surname is misspelled on the Walls of the Missing at Margraten Cemetery.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, NARA - MACR, www.newspapers.com - Tucson Daily Citizen / Casa Grande Dispatch, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees, www.fold3.com - WWII Draft Card

Photo source: -