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Personal info

Full name
BRAGUE, Roger J
Date of birth
12 December 1920
Age
23
Place of birth
Los Angeles County, California
Hometown
Riverside County, California

Military service

Service number
O-807813
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
856th Bombardment Squadron,
492nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
19 May 1944
Place of death
Lutter/Steinheuterode, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
A 11 7

Immediate family

Members
Charles R. Brague (father)
Renee (Lyon) Brague (mother)
Kathryn L. Brague (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
44-40088
Data
Type: B-24J
Nickname: Katie Jean
Destination: Brunswick, Germany
Mission: Bombing
MACR: 5246

More information

2nd Lt Roger J. Brague enlisted in San Francisco, California on 27 April 1942.

On 19 May 44, they flew with the Group on a bombing mission to attack a marshalling yard in Brunswick, Germany. Their position in the Group's formation was on the far right. Always a dangerous position as the Luftwaffe often likes starting at one end, chewing their way across. As they were approaching their target, the 492nd got caught without fighter protection by about 40 German fighters. The wave of enemy FW-190s came in quickly from about one to two o'clock high. Just before the plane fireballed, Lt Wymond, Sgt Dorow and Sgt Kline were able to get out. The blast threw two more men, Lt DeRose and Lt Warakomski, from the plane and they survived and parachuted safely to the ground. Lt. Brague was immediately killed in the initial strike. All of the dead were initially buried in the Lutter Cemetery. After the war their bodies were recovered and buried in US cemeteries.

2nd Lt Roger J. Brague was first buried at Temporary American Military Cemetery Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium Block N, Row 1, Grave 9.

Source of information: Michel Beckers, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil / 1940 Census, 492nd Bomb Group, www.wwiimemorial, www.fold3.com

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Michel Beckers