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name
PETZOLD, Edward Raymond - Date of
birth
27 November 1919 -
Age
25 - Place of
birth
Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota -
Hometown
Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-765887 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Co-Pilot -
Unit
88th Squadron,
438th Troop Carrier Group
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
23 December 1944 - Place of
death
Isle-le-Pré, southwest of Bastogne, Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| F | 13 | 18 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Herman A. Petzold (father)
Ada L. Petzold (mother)
Herman A. Petzold Jr. (brother)
Arthur E. Petzold (brother)
Robert H. Petzold (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-92087 -
Data
Type: C-47A
Destination: Bastogne, Belgium
Mission: Re-supply drop
MACR: 11024
More information
Edward Petzold attended college for three years and worked in an automobile factory.He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 6 July 1942.
On the run to the drop zone, for reasons unknown, the airplane went into a power dive and crashed with the loss of the entire crew of four.
Statement from S/Sgt Alfred H. Chartier, crew member of another plane in the group:
"I was Radio Operator in plane number 43-15499. I was on my knees in the process of pushing out the last para-pack from the plane when my attention was attracted by the rear of engines. I looked up and saw plane number 42-92087 nose down and go into a vertical dive towards the ground. Visibility was good, there was light snow on the ground and I was able to follow the plane all the way down and saw it hit and explode with flames shooting up approximately fifty feet in the air. During the plane descent, I saw no one leave the ship."
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Carla Mans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com, www.ancestry.com - U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, 1942 Macalester College Yearbook St Paul, Minnesota, They Speak-The Voices of Henri-Chapelle