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name
ANDERSON, Vernon Dale - Date of
birth
22 February 1919 -
Age
25 - Place of
birth
Wahkiakum County, Washington -
Hometown
Multnomah County, Oregon
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-926286 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
601st Bombardment Squadron,
398th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
26 November 1944 - Place of
death
In the IJsselmeer, former Zuider Zee, near Zwolle, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| H | 16 | 6 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Francis A. Anderson (father)
Mary A. (Peterson) Anderson (mother)
Wallace W. Anderson (brother)
Gordon E. Anderson (brother)
Marvin D. Anderson (brother)
Francis H. Anderson (brother)
Shelia H. Anderson (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-102565 -
Data
Type: B-17
Nickname: Ugly Duckling
Destination: Misburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Deulag synthetic oil refinery
MACR: 11147
More information
2nd Lt Vernon D. Anderson attended college beofre he joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Santa Ana, California on 5 January 1943.Statement of 2nd Lt Henry A. Skubik:
"Our formation was hit by flak around Zwolle. I saw one burst of flak directly beneath their wing. Immediately after the burst, the plane peeled off up and to the left of the formation. There was no visible fire or smoke. The next I heard, the pilot was calling on VHF, stating that he had a runaway prop and he could not feather it and he would try to make Belgium of France."
The entire crew bailed out safely but perished in the ice cold water of the lake.
On 29 June 1945 his body was picked up from the lake by a fisherman. He was initially buried in the Municipal Cemetery of Elburg in the Netherlands.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, John Meurs, www.ancestry.com - Anderson Family Tree / 1930 Census
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Arie-Jan van Hees, Bombardier/Navigator Class Book 44-07, Childress AAF, Texas