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name
EWART, William Howard - Date of
birth
21 October 1908 -
Age
35 - Place of
birth
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Los Angeles, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
39021884 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Assistant Radio Operator/Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
413th Bombardment Squadron,
96th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
8 March 1944 - Place of
death
Near Loburg, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
William H. Ewart (father)
Mary E. (Powell) Ewart (mother)
Mable Ewart (sister)
Mariel T. Ewart (sister)
Helen Ewart (sister)
Marion Ewart (sister)
Wilson Ewart (brother)
Lloyd J. Ewart (brother)
Ruby J. Ewart (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31403 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Erkner-Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Vereinigte Kugellagerfabriken (ball bearing plant)
MACR: 3424
More information
S/Sgt William H. Ewart was a mechanic before he enlisted at Fort MacArthur, San Pedro, California.The aircraft was attacked by fighters. William Ewart was seriously wounded by small caliber gunfire in the ball turret. He didn´t bail out but was thrown out by other crew members, approximately 60 miles SW of Berlin-Schweintz. Members of the crew pulled the rip cord on his parachute. They threw him out of the rear door. They said his chute caught on the tail and then slid off, but opened properly. He was never seen by any of the crew members. He was thrown out before anyone else left the ship.
William Ewart was found and identified by his dogtag on 21 March 1944 and was buried on 23 March 1944, 1500 hours on the local cemetery in Altengrabow.
After the war, American disintering teams were not able to recover his remains.
Three crew members were killed, seven were taken prisoner.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - Ewart Family Tree
Photo source: FOHF