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Personal info

Full name
CRABTREE, James Jr
Date of birth
6 January 1920
Age
24
Place of birth
Rockwood, Roane County, Tennessee
Hometown
Hamilton County, Ohio

Military service

Service number
O-807994
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Navigator
Unit
369th Bombardment Squadron,
306th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
11 January 1944
Place of death
Shalkhaar, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 35 46

Immediate family

Members
James S. Crabtree (father)
Margaret (Ballou) Crabtree (mother)
Goldie C. Crabtree (halfsister)
Clara C. Crabtree (halfsister)
Crystal Crabtree (halfsister)
Violet Crabtree (halfsister)
Ruth E. Crabtree (sister)
Mildred Crabtree (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-29993
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: Halberstad, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the industrial area
MACR: 1935

More information

2nd Lt James Crabtree graduated from New Richmond High School.

He enlisted at Fort Thomas, Kentucky on 12 November, 1941 and served with an artillery unit for a year before he was transferred to the Army Air Forces. He was commissioned in July 1943 and had been overseas since November 1943.

The B-17 had the tail shot off by furious attacking FW-190's.

Only one crew member survived and was taken prisoner. Nine men were killed.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Kathy McDermott, www.newspapers.com - The Cincinnati Enquirer, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, www.findagrave.com - gjbrell, The Cincinnati Post - 31 March 1944