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name
INSOLO, John Alfree - Date of
birth
7 June 1923 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
New Castle County, Delaware -
Hometown
Chesapeake City, Cecil County, Maryland
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
33563414 -
Rank
Private First Class -
Function
unknown -
Unit
B Company,
1st Battalion,
327th Glider Infantry Regiment,
101st Airborne Division
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
19 September 1944 - Place of
death
Kruishoutem, Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 31 | 10 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Charles E. Insolo (father)
Addie (Alfree) Insolo (mother)
Jane B. Insolo (sister)
Charles E. Insolo (brother)
Adelaide Insolo (sister)
Thelma E. Insolo (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
unknown -
Data
unknown
More information
Pfc John A. Insolo enlisted on 11 March 1943 in Baltimore, Maryland.He was on board of the CG-AA Waco Glider, serialnumber 43-19797 with destination landing Zone W near Best in The Netherlands.
Due to bad weather in the vicinity of Ghent, Belgium several tow planes and gliders encountered navigation problems.
The glider, piloted by F/O Fry, was released from the tow plane for an unknown reason, dropped down, hit some tree tops and crashed in a field. All fifteen passengers and the pilot were killed.
On 20 September 1944, they were all buried at the municipal cemetery of Kruishoutem, Belgium. At that time, Kruishoutem was already liberated.
Following statement is from Capt John W. Gallager, the pilot of the tow plane:
"I was towing F/O Fry and was flying the number three position in a four ship element. I lost the formation over the sea about four minutes before I reached the Belgium coast. Due to instrument weather I went down and crossed the coast under the weather at an altitude of about 200 feet. When we reached a point about 6 miles from Ghent, Belgium, the visibility got so low we could just see the glider from the tow ship so I decided to try climbing up through the altitude of about 500 feet the glider pulled our tail down and left. Then it straightened up again for about 30 seconds. He then started having more trouble and either cut loose or the rope broke. We made a search of the area but found no trace of the glider. During this search we found an R.A.F. Field so we landed and reported the position of the glider as near as we could."
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.marketgarden.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record, www.newspapers.com, www.fold3.com - WWII Registration Card, https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/waco-te-kruishoutem
Photo source: Peter Schouteten