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name
SPAVEN, George Napier Jr - Date of
birth
16 March 1920 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
North Carolina -
Hometown
Warren County, Virginia
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-531028 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
753rd Bombardment Squadron,
458th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
22 April 1944 - Place of
death
Near the road between Hoetmar and Freckenhorst
North of Hoetmar, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 12 | 12 |
Immediate family
-
Members
George N. Spaven (father)
Mannie (Emerson) Spaven (mother)
William M. Spaven (brother)
Margaret N. Spaven (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-29273 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: Flak Magnet
Destination: Hamm, Germany
Mission: Combat
MACR: 4180
More information
1st Lt George N. Spaven Jr. attended high school for four years and enlisted in Richmond, Virginia on 5 February 1941.Spaven´s A/C was hit by flak at approximately 1938 hours SW of Hamm. The #2 engine caught fire and the A/C fell out of formation. Four chutes were seen. The A/C then was brought under contol and Spaven regained altitude and rejoined the formation. After an undetermined period of time, the A/C was observed to leave the formation and head West, still under control.
According to a crewmember he didn´t bail out. He was dead due to bullets from a fighter while holding the plane steady for other crewmembers to bail out.
He was initially buried on 23 April 1944, 10.00 hours at the General Cemetery Hoetmar, Grave no. 1.
Source of information: Michel Beckers, Terry Hirsch, 458th Bomb Group, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, 1940 US Census
Photo source: Nico Leers, Michel Beckers, Darin Scorza-458 BG