Memorial

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S/Sgt George P. Allen worked in an automobile factory before he volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Boston, Massachusetts on 13 January 1942.

Three miles from the target, the bomber was badly damaged by enemy ground fire and set on fire. More than 230 anti-aircraft guns, supported by many barrage balloons, smoke pots and German fighter planes were in the area of the refineries. Lt Col Addison E. Baker, the pilot and Maj. John L. Jerstad, the co-pilot, ignored the fact that they were flying above a field suitable for a forced landing. They kept on course. After the bombs were released on the target, they kept on trying to give the plane more altitude so the crew members could bail out, but the fire in the ship became so intense that it made further progress impossible. The airplane crashed into the target area, killing erverybody on board. Lt Col Baker and Maj Jerstad were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for this action.

He was initially buried in a common grave, together with a member of another plane crew killed on the same day, in the Bolovan Cemetery of Ploesti. He was transferred to Ardennes Cemetery and first buried there as Unknown. On 1 December 1948, he was disinterred and on 12 July 1950, identified by his dental chart. He was given his final resting place on 19 October 1950.

In August 1950, his parents requested that his remains would be buried in Brookwood American Military Cemetery in Great Britain, in view of the fact that their son received most of his military training while stationed in England. they also felt that this cemetery was much closer to America.

The Brookwood American Military Cemetery was established as a permanent shrine to the memory of those Americans who died in Europe during World War I. For this reason it was impossible to comply with their request. After this was explained to his parents, they agreed that he would be permanently interred at Ardennes.