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Personal info

Full name
MC DONALD, Frank Harley
Date of birth
14 August 1914
Age
29
Place of birth
Bonners Ferry, Bonner County, Idaho
Hometown
Sacramento, Sacramento County, California

Military service

Service number
39011972
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Tail Gunner
Unit
535th Bombardment Squadron,
381st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
20 December 1943
Place of death
2 Miles of Oldenbrug, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 10 16

Immediate family

Members
John F. Mc Donald (father)
Bertha E. (Gillander) Mc Donald (mother)
Jack H. Mc Donald (brother)
Charles W. Mc Donald (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-5846
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Tinker Toy
Destination: Bremen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the port
MACR: 1723

More information

Sgt Frank H. McDonald attended high school for 4 years. He was a stock clerk. He joined the Air Corps in the Presidio of Monterey, California on 12 October 1941.

Statement from Herbert J. Burgasser;
"I was flying in the Ball Turret position of ship no. 42-30765, in which Lt Emil Urban was the pilot, when I saw ship no. 42-5846 go down over the target. It was out of control and spinning down in flames when I last saw it, and at this time no fighters were attacking it. I was in the ship that was flying in the #2 position, second element, low squadron of the low group. Ship 42-5846 was in the same element, #3 position."

Statement from 2nd Lt Emil L. Urban;
"I was the pilot of A/C no. 42-30765, which was flying in the No. 2 position. At approximately the time of the bomb run, which was about 1147, fighters jumped us from the direction of 11 o'clock. One of the fighters rammed B-17F A/C no. 42-5846 which was flying in the #3 position. It was under control for about a minute then flipped over on its back and went into a spin."

Seven crew members were killed, three were taken prisoner.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Michel Beckers, Astrid van Erp, Terry Hirsch, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Family Tree

Photo source: Jac Engels