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Personal info

Full name
RILEY, George F
Date of birth
15 December 1917
Age
26
Place of birth
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York City, New York
Hometown
Queens, Queens County, New York

Military service

Service number
12026065
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Assistant Radio Operator
Unit
512th Bombardment Squadron,
376th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
17 June 1944
Place of death
South of Samorin, Czechoslovakia

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 11 51

Immediate family

Members
George A. Riley (father)
Catherine V. (Geoghan) Riley (mother)
Edward C. Riley (brother)
Mary Ann Riley (sister)
Patricia Riley (sister)
Richard Riley (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
41-29294
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: Miss Minerva II
Destination: Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
Mission: Bombing of oil facilities
MACR: 6033

More information

George F. Riley was a shipping and receiving clerk.
He joined the Regular Army in New York City, New York on 11 February 1941.

The mission took place on 16 June 1944.
Statement of Sgt Joseph C. Prater, crew member of another B-24 in the group: "I was flying as tail gunner on a ship just above and to the right of plane number 26. I first noticed a man coming out of the right waist window. A moment later I saw two more men leave the ship. The first two men opened their chutes quickly and the slip stream hit the open chutes and twisted them up and I saw the men going down without their chutes opening. The third man’s chute was on fire in the shroud lines and he dropped when the chute left him. The ship then swing under me and to the right of our ship burning furiously in the bomb bay and wings. Just before the ship fell apart I noticed three more men leave. I followed them as far down as I could but saw no chutes open. The ship fell apart then the wing came off and the fuselage breaking in half. It was burning all the way down until it hit the earth. I don’t see how any of the men got the earth safely."

Two crew members survived and were taken prisoner. Eight men were killed.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Tom Red Family Tree / 1940 Census / WWII Draft Card, www.fold3.com

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.ancestry.com