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name
HARMON, Franklin A - Date of
birth
1 November 1910 -
Age
33 - Place of
birth
Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Maine -
Hometown
Cumberland County, Maine
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
31116960 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Left Waist Gunner -
Unit
333rd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
22 March 1944 - Place of
death
At the Grosser Stern
Berlin-Grunewald, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 17 | 16 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Solon C. Harmon (father)
Gertrude (Jacob) Harmon (mother)
Raymond E. Parker (stepfather)
Marion E. (Peabody) Harmon (wife)
Leonard Harmon (son)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31637 -
Data
Type: B-17
Nickname: Athenian Avenger
Destination: Oranienburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Heinkel aviation industry
MACR: 3535
More information
T/Sgt Franklin A. Harmon was a barber before he enlisted in Portland, Maine on 18 June 1942.Because of cloud cover, the primary target could not be bombed and therefore the secundary target, the city of Berlin, was attacked.
The plane received two or three direct flak bursts over the target, the tail broke off at the waist and the plane shot up about 100 feet before diving straight down crashing at 1325 hrs. The entire crew was killed.
T/Sgt Harmon was initially buried at the POW Cemetery in Elsgrund-Doberitz. His remains were disinterred at the end of November, begin of December 1946 and evacuated to Ardennes Cemetery.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, Carla Mans, www.wwiimemorial.com, Maine Birth Index
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.findagrave.com - Andrew