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Submit- Full
name
PLEIN, William Jennings Bryan - Date of
birth
13 May 1925 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Carmel, Monterey County, California -
Hometown
Carmel, Monterey County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
39134759 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Aerial Engineer -
Unit
848th Bombardment Squadron,
490th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
5 April 1945 - Place of
death
Sommelsdijk, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | 46 |
Immediate family
-
Members
William Plein (father)
Harriet Plein (mother)
Maurice K. Plein (brother)
Theodore C. Plein (brother)
Arlene M. Plein (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-38131 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Miss Mary Kay
Destination: Unterschlauersbach, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the airfield
MACR: 13854
More information
Around 1325 hours the aircraft was hit by flak from German naval vessels in the harbor of Middelharnis. It caught fire and crashed in a field in Westplaat-polder in Sommelsdijk. Members of the Red Cross recovered the bodies and brought them to the morgue of the general cemetery in Sommelsdijk where they were buried on Saturday 7 April 1945. The entire crew of nine was killed.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / 1930 Census, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Peter Schouteten