Missing information?

Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?

Submit

Personal info

Full name
GRAHAM, Owen Lee
Date of birth
24 June 1916
Age
28
Place of birth
Seattle, King County, Washington
Hometown
Seattle, King County, Washington

Military service

Service number
O-747394
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
364th Bombardment Squadron,
305th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
24 August 1944
Place of death
Barnstaedt, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
A 6 18

Immediate family

Members
Adolph Graham (father)
Pearl M. (Friske) Graham (mother)
Lawrence W. Graham (brother)
Orville C. Graham (brother)
Wayne Graham (brother)
Alta M. Graham (sister)
Lena M. Graham (wife)
Larry Graham (son)

Plane data

Serial number
43-37593
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Graham Cracker
Destination: Merseburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Leuna oil refinery
MACR: 8210

More information

Owen Lee Graham graduated from Lincoln High School in 1935 in Seattle, Washington. He and attended the Seattle Pacific College for one year

He joined the Air Corps of the Regular Army in Tacoma, Washington on 8 July 1941.

His brother Orville C. Graham was killed on 2 February 1945 and is buried at the American Military Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy.

As the plane was headed back, it was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire. Due to the heavy damage to "Graham Cracker", it crashed in Barnstaedt (West of Merseburg) at 12:30 o'clock. Seven of the crew members were found dead, two had parachuted out before the crash (they were captured by the Germans). The seven dead crew members were buried on 25 August 1944 in the Village Cemetery at Barnsteadt.

In 1945 the bodies were disinterred and reinterred at Margraten.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / 1930 Census, www.wwiimemorial.com

Photo source: Nico Leers, Arie-Jan van Hees.