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Personal info

Full name
HOWELL, Ernest Fleet Jr
Date of birth
13 April 1917
Age
27
Place of birth
Oak Grove, West Carroll Parish, Louisiana
Hometown
Oak Grove, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

Military service

Service number
O-805467
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
352nd Bombardment Squadron,
301st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
26 July 1944
Place of death
Wiener Neudorf, Austria

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 18 14

Immediate family

Members
Ernest F. Howell (father)
Mary G. (Gipson) Howell (mother)
Emily R. Howell (sister)
Evelyn (Lockhard) Howell (wife)
James F. Howell (son)

Plane data

Serial number
42-102929
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Wiener Neudorf, Austria
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft factory
MACR: 7143

More information

1st Lt Ernest F. Howell graduated from Oak Grove High School. He attended Arkansas A&M. He helped his mother in the operation of a local bus line.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve at Selman Field, Monroe, Louisiana on 9 May 1942.

The airplane was flying straight and level when airplane 42-30385, which had his right wing on fire due to enemy aircraft attacks, hit it in the side with its left wing. Airplane 42-102929 exploded in mid-air.

Two crew members survived and were taken prisoner, eight were killed.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: www.ancestry.com, Peter Schouteten