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Personal info

Full name
BLAKE, David Grafflin
Date of birth
21 June 1922
Age
22
Place of birth
Maryland
Hometown
Baltimore, Maryland

Military service

Service number
O-807668
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
816th Bombardment Squadron,
483rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Soldier's Medal,
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
18 July 1944
Place of death
In the vicinity of Memmingen, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 39 2

Immediate family

Members
Bradford Blake (father)
Bertha Blake (mother)
Bradford E Blake, Jr. (brother)
James M. Blake (brother)
Katherina Blake (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
42-107172
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Memmingen, Germany
MACR: 7153

More information

2nd Lt David G Blake. Blake enlisted in September 1942. He was commissioned in July 1943 and left for overseas duty in March 1944.

On the way to the target, the aircraft became separated because of bad weather. Alone, they continued their bomb run and ran into a swarm of 200 German fighters.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, WWIIMemorial.com, Archives.gov, Findagrave.com, Ancestry.com

Photo source: Jac Engels, www.findagrave.com - Rich Fullam, The Baltimore Sun - 26 April 1943