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Personal info

Full name
BARNES, Joseph Shannon
Date of birth
1 December 1919
Age
23
Place of birth
La Grange, Cook County, Illinois
Hometown
Juneau County, Wisconsin

Military service

Service number
16046483
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Waist Gunner
Unit
367th Bombardment Squadron,
306th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
7 January 1943
Place of death
English Channel

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Tablets of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Joseph Barnes (father)
Geraldine Barnes (mother)
Gertrude Barnes (sister)
Marie Barnes (sister)
Richard Barnes (brother)
Frances Barnes (sister)
Gerald E. Barnes (brother)
Margaret (Smith) Barnes (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
41-24469
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: St. Nazaire, France
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat base
MACR: 16102

More information

S/Sgt Joseph S. Barnes graduated from New Lisbon High School in 1938. He was employed by the Milwaukee Road Railway as a clerk in the Portage freight house.

He joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on 21 October 1941.

The plane take off from Thurleight on 3 January for an attack on the U-Boots yard at St. Nazaire, France. On the return the plane was forced to land at RAF station St. Eval, Cornwall. It took off on 7 January to return to his home base but poor weather closed in and it was forced to return to St. Eval. It made one landing attempt but was forced to overshoot. It pulled up and made another atempt and was never seen or heard again. It is assumed it ditched in St. George's Channel but the exact location is unknown.

The entire crew of ten men was lost.

S/Sgt Barnes is remembered at Saint Paul's Catholic Cemetery in New Lisbon, Juneau County, Wisconsin.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / WWII Draft Card

Photo source: FOHF, http://milwaukeeroadarchives.com - December 1944