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name
PACKARD, Hudson Ford - Date of
birth
13 June 1924 -
Age
19 -
Place of birth
Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts -
Hometown
Worcester County, Massachusetts
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-813212 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
357th Fighter Squadron,
355th Fighter Group
-
Awards
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
19 May 1944 - Place of
death
Breiteiche, 3 km south of Mieste, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 39 | 8 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Earle E. Packard (father)
Sadie (Conway) Packard (mother)
Robert Packard (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-106762 -
Data
Type: P51B-15
Mission: Ramrod
MACR: 4993
More information
1st Lt Hudson F. Packard graduated from Commerce High School and was an architect.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States at Fort Devens, Massachusetts on 26 August 1942.
Statement by 2nd Lt John A. Cotter:
"The Group was cruising toward Brunswick when a DO-217 came in from four o'clock up-sun, so I called to Lt Packard to break. We had our wing tanks on and Lt Packard dropped his as he broke left. He half rolled and split-essed on the DO-217. I was unable to release my tanks in time, so I spun out and lost him. When I called Lt Packard to tell him that I was not with him, I received no reply. The last I saw of Lt Packard was when he was on the tail of the DO-217 going down at an angle of 45 degrees, apparently undamaged."
When Lt Packard failed to return to the base with the 357th Fighter Squadron, the office immediately notified combat operations. Every effort was made to contact Lt Packard on several channels.
According to a report of the Airbase-HQ of Gardelegen, the airplane collided with a BF 110.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Astrid van Erp, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Family collection