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Submit- Full
name
COLEMAN, James Henry - Date of
birth
8 September 1916 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Parke County, Indiana -
Hometown
Greene Township, Parke County, Indiana
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
35366727 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
423rd Bombardment Squadron,
306th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
11 February 1944 - Place of
death
10 km northwest of Clermont (Oise), France
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Ray E. Coleman (father)
Myrtle (Akers) Coleman (mother)
Forrest M. Coleman (brother)
Kenneth W Coleman (brother)
Pauline Coleman (sister)
Elle M. (Wright) Coleman (wife)
Patricia Coleman (daughter)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31388 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Frankfurt, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yard
MACR: 2527
More information
James Coleman was employed by a hardware firm in Greencastle, Indiana.His wife learned, just a week after the birth of their daughter, that her husband was believed lost on his 15th raid over Europe. He had been overseas for seven months.
Anti-aircraft fire knocked out #3 engine and enemy fighters set the plane alight. S/Sgt. Coleman was killed in his turret and was in the plane when it exploded on striking the ground. Crew members heard from French sources that they had found a part of his body near the plane.
It is believed that he was buried by French civilians at the Military Cemetery of Beauvais-Marissel, France.
The rest of the crew survived and was taken prisoner.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com, www.ancestry.com, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Amy Aupperlee