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name
WONDERLY, Chester Donald - Date of
birth
18 January 1925 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Warrensburg, Johnson County, Missouri -
Hometown
Johnson County, Missouri
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
37521563 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
A Company,
1st Battalion,
194th Glider Infantry Regiment,
17th Airborne Division
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 March 1945 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Wesel, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| G | 18 | 9 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Walter L. Wonderly (father)
Mary A. (Richardson) Wonderly (mother)
Carrie B. Wonderly (sister)
William L. Wonderly (brother)
Hazel Wonderly (sister)
Walter L. Wonderly (brother)
Laverne Wonderly (brother)
Evelyn Wonderly (sister)
Lawrence C. Wonderly (brother)
Richard L. Wonderly (brother)
David K. Wonderly (brother)
Vivian Wonderly (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
45-6097 -
Data
unknown
More information
Sgt Chester D. Wonderly enlisted at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on 10 April 1943.On 24 March 1945, F/O Warren R. Miller was flying Glider No. 45-6097 (position 99) and I, James W. Bartelse, was flying Glider No. 42-43004 (position 100). The mission was a double tow pulling Warren R. Miller and myself on the same tow. Because of smoke over the LZ, we overshot our cut off point. When Glider no. 45-6097 finally cut off I followed him in on what seemed to be a 180 degree approach. When I last looked ahead I saw flak hit his right elevator. Just after I last saw him I pulled my tail chute and we dropped below him. I assumed he kept the same heading and landed further down. The last time I saw him he was 300 feet in the air and slightly ahead of me. I didn´t see him land and can´t say he crashed.
There were 2 crew members and 13 passengers, all from the 17th Airborne Division on board. Sgt Wonderly was one of them.
Source of information: Tom Verheijden, www.ancestry.com - WWII Enlistment Record 1938 - 1946, www.fold3.com - MACR / WWII Draft Card, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / 1940 Census
Photo source: Tom Verheijden