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Personal info

Full name
DEFENBAUGH, Ross Nelson
Date of birth
6 February 1913
Age
30
Place of birth
Sedan, Chautauqua County, Kansas
Hometown
Bloomington, McLean County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
20619512
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Left Waist Gunner
Unit
534th Bombardment Squadron,
381st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
11 January 1944
Place of death
Oschersleben, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
unknown

Immediate family

Members
Ross S. Defenbaugh (father)
Nellie (Potter) Defenbaugh (mother)
Sylvesta Defenbaugh (brother)
Betty L. Defenbaugh (sister)
Ada (Ohm) Defenbaugh (wife)
Jack L. Defenbaugh (son)

Plane data

Serial number
42-3118
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: The Green Hornet
Destination: Oschersleben, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the industrial area
MACR: 1875

More information

Ross N. Defenbaugh joined the National Guard in Bloomington, Illinois on 5 March 1941.

Shortly before reaching the target area the airplane was hit hard by violent German attacks. The plane left the formation on a southern course with #3 and #4 engine on fire.

Sgt Defenbaugh was the only casualty. The other nine crew members managed to bail out and were taken prisoner.

It is not clear what happened to Sgt Defenbaugh. Some surviving crew members claimed they had seen him in a POW camp just before they were transferred to another camp, others testified could bailed out and could have been killed on the ground by Germans military or civilians. One crew member remembered he was killed during one of the aerial attacks when he was hit by 20mm shells at his position.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.newspapers.com - The Pantagraph (Illinois), Indiana Marriage Index, 1940 US Census

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, www.newspapers.com - The Pantagraph (Illinois)