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Submit- Full
name
GEWEHR, Ralph P - Date of
birth
10 September 1918 -
Age
25 - Place of
birth
Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey -
Hometown
Essex County, New Jersey
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-416295 -
Rank
Captain -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
409th Bombardment Squadron,
93rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
13 November 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Arthur R. Gewehr Sr. (father)
Josephine F. (Doughty) Gewehr (mother)
Arthur R. Gewehr Jr. (brother)
Warren D. Gewehr (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-24298 -
Data
Type: B-24D
Nickname: Queenie
Destination: Bremen, Germany
Mission: Objective Bombing
MACR: 2189
More information
Capt Ralph P. Gewehr graduated from Columbia High School. He attended North Carolina State College when he enlisted in Newark, New Jersey on 11 October 1940. He was sent overseas in May 1943.Statement from Capt Henri Z. Lake:
It was November 13, 1943, the attacked aircraft was out of formation with the other planes flying. The pilot, Capt Ralph P Gewehr, realized his error and thought he turned back to rejoin the group of planes. At that time the B-24 was attacked by enemy aircraft. The #2 engine was on fire and the plane went into a cloud in a flat spin. All crew members died when the plane, named “Queenie” went down into the North Sea.
At the time of Capt Gewehr's death, his brother Arthur served with the U.S. Marines in the South Pacific.
The pictures were taken in college in 1938 and 1939.
Source of information: Dennis and Gerda Hermsen, www.wwiimemorial.com, http://aad.archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR, The Item of Millburn and Short Hills 26 December 1943
Photo source: Dennis and Gerda Hermsen, North Carolina State University Yearbook 1938, 1939