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Personal info

Full name
WILSON, Irving
Date of birth
29 September 1919
Age
24
Place of birth
Bronx, Bronx County, New York
Hometown
Manhattan, New York County, New York
Religion
Jewish

Military service

Service number
O-674713
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Bombardier
Unit
412th Bombardment Squadron,
95th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
11 April 1944
Place of death
Dummerstorf, 6 miles southeast of Rostock, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 5 9

Immediate family

Members
William Wilson (father)
Eva (Schwartz) Wilson (mother)
Gertrude Wilson (sister)
Charles Wilson (brother)
Jack Wilson (brother)
Sylvia Wilson (sister)
Lillian Wilson (sister)
Mollie P. Wilson (wife)
William Wilson (son)

Plane data

Serial number
42-39869
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Heaven Can Wait
Destination: Rostock, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Heinkel aviation industry
MACR: 3806

More information

The airplane was under attack by Fw-190s just before the target. It had a hole in the right aileron and another in the right wing where the main gas tanks are located. The airplane winged over to the left and back in a slicing dive, gas spraying out and enveloping it in flames. No parachutes were seen to leave the aircraft. The entire crew of 10 was killed.

The killed crew members were initially buried at the New Cemetery at Rostock on 17 April 1944. They were disinterred and evacuated to Ardennes Cemetery on 10 April 1947.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, Peter Schouteten, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR, WWII Draft Card, 1920 US Census

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Arie-Jan van Hees, Bombardier Class Book 43-04, Midland Army Air Field, Texas.