Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
NEAL, Maurice Joseph - Date of
birth
27 May 1920 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
New York -
Hometown
Rochester, Monroe County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-765712 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Bombardier -
Unit
494th Bombardment Squadron,
344th Bombardment Group, Medium
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
23 September 1944 - Place of
death
Left of the street from Rheinsberg-Camp-Lintfort
In the vicinity of Rheinberg, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 8 | 24 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Joseph Neal (father)
Jennie E. (Delling) Neal (mother)
Mildred M. Neal (sister)
Raymond D. Neal (brother)
Gordon M. Neal (brother)
Mary A. (Eveland) Neal (wife)
Laura Neal (daughter)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-34406 -
Data
Type: B-26-G5
Destination: Venlo, The Netherlands
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yard
MACR: 9733
More information
Maurice Neal graduated from Rochester School of Commerce and was employed as a clerk by the Samson United Corporation.He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Nashville, Tennessee on 1 March 1943. He graduated from the Deming Army Air Field Bombardier School and was commissioned a second lieutenant on 15 January 1944 and was sent overseas in July 1944.
In the vicinity of the target area, the plane was hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire. The plane was seen to go down in a ball of fire and explode on the way down. No parachutes were seen to leave the aircraft.
Five crew members were killed. Their remains were found a day later and initially buried in the town cemetery of Rheinberg, Germany.
Co-Pilot Peter S. Orth was the only survivor and was taken prisoner.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.newspapers.com - Democrat and Chronicle, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.newspapers.com - Democrat and Chronicle