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name
COTTON, Joseph - Date of
birth
29 January 1919 -
Age
25 - Place of
birth
Quincy, Norfolk County, Massachusetts -
Hometown
Essex County, New Jersey
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-814402 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Co-Pilot -
Unit
856th Bombardment Squadron,
492nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
7 July 1944 - Place of
death
Gröningen, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 7 | 11 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Joseph J. Cotton (father)
Nellie (Cierpisz) Cotton (mother)
Mildred Cotton (sister)
C. Lillian (Cincotta) Cotton (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-95230 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Destination: Bernburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing Aircraft Manufacturing Plant
MACR: 7238
More information
The airplane was shot down by enemy fighters over Bernburg in attempt to take out an aircraft manufacturing plant. Four of the men were killed while manning their posts. Some of the men were able to jump before the ship exploded. Others, like Frank Haag, were blown out. George Haag watched his brother's plane go down.The wreckage landed outside the town of Gröningen, Germany, which is about 12 kilometers northeast of Halberstadt. The bodies recovered were buried locally at Gröningen. After the war, their remains were taken to the American Cemetery in the Netherlands. The local Germans in the town of Gröningen built a memorial to honor all victims of WWII in their area, which includes the names of the fallen men of the Haag Crew.
Source of information: Michel Beckers, MACR, 492ndbombgroup.com, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record
Photo source: Michel Beckers / 492ndbombgroup.com, www.findagrave.com - Des Philippet