Thomas B. Cole volunteered for the U.S. Army in Jacksonville, Florida on 6 January 1942. He attended high school for 3 years and was a mechanic before he joined the army.
The 401st put up the Low Box and the High squadron of the High Box of the 94th Combat Wing. Because of solid undercast, bombing was by PFF (radar), the Low Box bombing the city of Berlin and the High Box bombing Brandenberg. No enemy fighters were encountered. Flak was moderate to and from the target but intense and accurate over the target. Of the 742 heavy bombers over the target, 36 were shot down and 205 were damaged.
According to witnesses, the plane was hit by a flak burst just outside the waist window or in the plane itself. The bottom part blew off. The tail section went one way and the frontal section another.
Statement from Edward J. Rice, Left Waist Gunner:
"About 100 miles from Holland it happens. A loud, hard, explosion toward the front of our plane. The plane was flying level as die, but the whole tail was gone. Just a great big hole looking out at the sky. The blast blew everything toward the front of the plane, the plane can't fly this way. I ran straight out into space thru the open fuselage, the plane was diving straight down. It nosed into the ground and exploded, fire and smoke shot skyward."
According to 1st Lt Cyrus P. Bennett, the Germans told him there were eight bodies in the wreckage. They were initially all buried at the cemetery of Achmer.
Name: Thomas B Cole
Inducted From: Louisiana
Rank: Sergeant
Combat Organization: 613th Bomber Squadron 401st Bomber
Death Date: May 08 1944
Monument: the Netherlands
Last Known Status: Buried
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
Air Medal
The 401st put up the Low Box and the High squadron of the High Box of the 94th Combat Wing. Because of solid undercast, bombing was by PFF (radar), the Low Box bombing the city of Berlin and the High Box bombing Brandenberg. No enemy fighters were encountered. Flak was moderate to and from the target but intense and accurate over the target. Of the 742 heavy bombers over the target, 36 were shot down and 205 were damaged.
According to witnesses, the plane was hit by a flak burst just outside the waist window or in the plane itself. The bottom part blew off. The tail section went one way and the frontal section another.
Statement from Edward J. Rice, Left Waist Gunner:
"About 100 miles from Holland it happens. A loud, hard, explosion toward the front of our plane. The plane was flying level as die, but the whole tail was gone. Just a great big hole looking out at the sky. The blast blew everything toward the front of the plane, the plane can't fly this way. I ran straight out into space thru the open fuselage, the plane was diving straight down. It nosed into the ground and exploded, fire and smoke shot skyward."
According to 1st Lt Cyrus P. Bennett, the Germans told him there were eight bodies in the wreckage. They were initially all buried at the cemetery of Achmer.
Name: Thomas B Cole
Inducted From: Louisiana
Rank: Sergeant
Combat Organization: 613th Bomber Squadron 401st Bomber
Death Date: May 08 1944
Monument: the Netherlands
Last Known Status: Buried
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
Air Medal
Thomas B. Cole volunteered for the U.S. Army in Jacksonville, Florida on 6 January 1942. He attended high school for 3 years and was a mechanic before he joined the army.
The 401st put up the Low Box and the High squadron of the High Box of the 94th Combat Wing. Because of solid undercast, bombing was by PFF (radar), the Low Box bombing the city of Berlin and the High Box bombing Brandenberg. No enemy fighters were encountered. Flak was moderate to and from the target but intense and accurate over the target. Of the 742 heavy bombers over the target, 36 were shot down and 205 were damaged.
According to witnesses, the plane was hit by a flak burst just outside the waist window or in the plane itself. The bottom part blew off. The tail section went one way and the frontal section another.
Statement from Edward J. Rice, Left Waist Gunner:
"About 100 miles from Holland it happens. A loud, hard, explosion toward the front of our plane. The plane was flying level as die, but the whole tail was gone. Just a great big hole looking out at the sky. The blast blew everything toward the front of the plane, the plane can't fly this way. I ran straight out into space thru the open fuselage, the plane was diving straight down. It nosed into the ground and exploded, fire and smoke shot skyward."
According to 1st Lt Cyrus P. Bennett, the Germans told him there were eight bodies in the wreckage. They were initially all buried at the cemetery of Achmer.
Name: Thomas B Cole
Inducted From: Louisiana
Rank: Sergeant
Combat Organization: 613th Bomber Squadron 401st Bomber
Death Date: May 08 1944
Monument: the Netherlands
Last Known Status: Buried
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
Air Medal
The 401st put up the Low Box and the High squadron of the High Box of the 94th Combat Wing. Because of solid undercast, bombing was by PFF (radar), the Low Box bombing the city of Berlin and the High Box bombing Brandenberg. No enemy fighters were encountered. Flak was moderate to and from the target but intense and accurate over the target. Of the 742 heavy bombers over the target, 36 were shot down and 205 were damaged.
According to witnesses, the plane was hit by a flak burst just outside the waist window or in the plane itself. The bottom part blew off. The tail section went one way and the frontal section another.
Statement from Edward J. Rice, Left Waist Gunner:
"About 100 miles from Holland it happens. A loud, hard, explosion toward the front of our plane. The plane was flying level as die, but the whole tail was gone. Just a great big hole looking out at the sky. The blast blew everything toward the front of the plane, the plane can't fly this way. I ran straight out into space thru the open fuselage, the plane was diving straight down. It nosed into the ground and exploded, fire and smoke shot skyward."
According to 1st Lt Cyrus P. Bennett, the Germans told him there were eight bodies in the wreckage. They were initially all buried at the cemetery of Achmer.
Name: Thomas B Cole
Inducted From: Louisiana
Rank: Sergeant
Combat Organization: 613th Bomber Squadron 401st Bomber
Death Date: May 08 1944
Monument: the Netherlands
Last Known Status: Buried
U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
Air Medal
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Louisiana.
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