Staff Sergeant Jefferson George Gregory, Army serial number 34833490, was born at Hiawassee, Towns County, Georgia on September 29, 1922. His parents were William Calvin 'Will' Gregory (4 Dec 1891 – 12 May 1972), who was born in North Carolina; and Minnie Jane (Reed) Gregory (3 Feb 1890 – 27 Feb 1978), who was born in Georgia. His parents married about 1919 and lived at Hiawassee, Georgia. His father was a farmer and received compensation for a disability incurred while in the Army. He was unable to do much farming.
He had a brother, William Clarence Gregory (30 Jun 1920 – 28 Jul 2001) (called Clarence). In December 1941 the family had to move for the Tennessee Valley Authority to build Chatuge Dam, which created Chatuge Lake on the Georgia-North Carolina border. They moved to a farm in the community of Jacksonville, Georgia near the town Young Harris. His home of record was Route 1, Young Harris, Towns County, Georgia.
He completed one year of college and registered for the draft at Towns County, Georgia on June 30, 1942. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 130 pounds, and had blue eyes and blonde hair. He was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 31, 1943.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training and was assigned as tail gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Howard A. Turnquist. The Turnquist crew completed B-17 crew training at Ardmore, Oklahoma and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by October 4, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. Here is Lt Turnquist's crew roster on December 24, 1944:
B-17G 44-8614 – 836th Bomb Squadron (838th Bomb Squadron aircraft)
• Turnquist, Howard A – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Chatterton, Thomas C – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Ceder, Richard E – 2/Lt – Bombardier – Safe
• Jordan, Frank E – 2/Lt – Navigator – Safe
• Kleinman, Stanley – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – Safe
• Stanton, Warren J – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• MacHauer, David H – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – Safe
• Gregory, Jefferson G – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Matz, Neil F – Sgt – Waist Gunner – Safe
On December 24, 1944, the 8th Air Force launched mission #760, the largest aerial mission of the war, which involved more than 2000 heavy bombers. The mission was to bomb German airfields and supply lines to stop the German offensive in the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 487th Bomb Group led the entire 8th Air Force on this mission. Lt Turnquist's crew flew B-17G 44-8614 in the number thirteen position at the tail end of the 487th Bomb Group's Low Squadron. The 487th Bomb Group's target was the airfield at Babenhausen, Germany, but the formation was attacked by German fighters south of Liege, Belgium, before the Allied fighter cover arrived. S/Sgt Gregory and three crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by German fighters. The aircraft crashed at Deigné, about 20 kilometers southeast of Liege. Five men survived. There is a memorial to the four men who were killed at Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium.
S/Sgt Gregory is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium, in Plot B, Row 5, Grave 24.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1940 US Census; Georgia; Towns County; West Hiawasee Road. Gregory, William C. 24 Apr 1940 (his father)
3. American Battle Monuments Commission
4. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
5. Enlistment Record of Jefferson G. Gregory
6. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 12207
7. U.S. Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942–1949 (ancestry.com)
8. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939–1945
9. U.S. Tennessee Valley Authority. Family Removal and Population Readjustment Case Files, 1934–1953 (ancestry.com)
10. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
11. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Secretary, 487th Bomb Group Association
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
He had a brother, William Clarence Gregory (30 Jun 1920 – 28 Jul 2001) (called Clarence). In December 1941 the family had to move for the Tennessee Valley Authority to build Chatuge Dam, which created Chatuge Lake on the Georgia-North Carolina border. They moved to a farm in the community of Jacksonville, Georgia near the town Young Harris. His home of record was Route 1, Young Harris, Towns County, Georgia.
He completed one year of college and registered for the draft at Towns County, Georgia on June 30, 1942. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 130 pounds, and had blue eyes and blonde hair. He was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 31, 1943.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training and was assigned as tail gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Howard A. Turnquist. The Turnquist crew completed B-17 crew training at Ardmore, Oklahoma and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by October 4, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. Here is Lt Turnquist's crew roster on December 24, 1944:
B-17G 44-8614 – 836th Bomb Squadron (838th Bomb Squadron aircraft)
• Turnquist, Howard A – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Chatterton, Thomas C – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Ceder, Richard E – 2/Lt – Bombardier – Safe
• Jordan, Frank E – 2/Lt – Navigator – Safe
• Kleinman, Stanley – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – Safe
• Stanton, Warren J – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• MacHauer, David H – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – Safe
• Gregory, Jefferson G – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Matz, Neil F – Sgt – Waist Gunner – Safe
On December 24, 1944, the 8th Air Force launched mission #760, the largest aerial mission of the war, which involved more than 2000 heavy bombers. The mission was to bomb German airfields and supply lines to stop the German offensive in the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 487th Bomb Group led the entire 8th Air Force on this mission. Lt Turnquist's crew flew B-17G 44-8614 in the number thirteen position at the tail end of the 487th Bomb Group's Low Squadron. The 487th Bomb Group's target was the airfield at Babenhausen, Germany, but the formation was attacked by German fighters south of Liege, Belgium, before the Allied fighter cover arrived. S/Sgt Gregory and three crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by German fighters. The aircraft crashed at Deigné, about 20 kilometers southeast of Liege. Five men survived. There is a memorial to the four men who were killed at Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium.
S/Sgt Gregory is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium, in Plot B, Row 5, Grave 24.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1940 US Census; Georgia; Towns County; West Hiawasee Road. Gregory, William C. 24 Apr 1940 (his father)
3. American Battle Monuments Commission
4. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
5. Enlistment Record of Jefferson G. Gregory
6. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 12207
7. U.S. Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942–1949 (ancestry.com)
8. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939–1945
9. U.S. Tennessee Valley Authority. Family Removal and Population Readjustment Case Files, 1934–1953 (ancestry.com)
10. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
11. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Secretary, 487th Bomb Group Association
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Staff Sergeant Jefferson George Gregory, Army serial number 34833490, was born at Hiawassee, Towns County, Georgia on September 29, 1922. His parents were William Calvin 'Will' Gregory (4 Dec 1891 – 12 May 1972), who was born in North Carolina; and Minnie Jane (Reed) Gregory (3 Feb 1890 – 27 Feb 1978), who was born in Georgia. His parents married about 1919 and lived at Hiawassee, Georgia. His father was a farmer and received compensation for a disability incurred while in the Army. He was unable to do much farming.
He had a brother, William Clarence Gregory (30 Jun 1920 – 28 Jul 2001) (called Clarence). In December 1941 the family had to move for the Tennessee Valley Authority to build Chatuge Dam, which created Chatuge Lake on the Georgia-North Carolina border. They moved to a farm in the community of Jacksonville, Georgia near the town Young Harris. His home of record was Route 1, Young Harris, Towns County, Georgia.
He completed one year of college and registered for the draft at Towns County, Georgia on June 30, 1942. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 130 pounds, and had blue eyes and blonde hair. He was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 31, 1943.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training and was assigned as tail gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Howard A. Turnquist. The Turnquist crew completed B-17 crew training at Ardmore, Oklahoma and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by October 4, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. Here is Lt Turnquist's crew roster on December 24, 1944:
B-17G 44-8614 – 836th Bomb Squadron (838th Bomb Squadron aircraft)
• Turnquist, Howard A – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Chatterton, Thomas C – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Ceder, Richard E – 2/Lt – Bombardier – Safe
• Jordan, Frank E – 2/Lt – Navigator – Safe
• Kleinman, Stanley – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – Safe
• Stanton, Warren J – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• MacHauer, David H – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – Safe
• Gregory, Jefferson G – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Matz, Neil F – Sgt – Waist Gunner – Safe
On December 24, 1944, the 8th Air Force launched mission #760, the largest aerial mission of the war, which involved more than 2000 heavy bombers. The mission was to bomb German airfields and supply lines to stop the German offensive in the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 487th Bomb Group led the entire 8th Air Force on this mission. Lt Turnquist's crew flew B-17G 44-8614 in the number thirteen position at the tail end of the 487th Bomb Group's Low Squadron. The 487th Bomb Group's target was the airfield at Babenhausen, Germany, but the formation was attacked by German fighters south of Liege, Belgium, before the Allied fighter cover arrived. S/Sgt Gregory and three crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by German fighters. The aircraft crashed at Deigné, about 20 kilometers southeast of Liege. Five men survived. There is a memorial to the four men who were killed at Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium.
S/Sgt Gregory is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium, in Plot B, Row 5, Grave 24.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1940 US Census; Georgia; Towns County; West Hiawasee Road. Gregory, William C. 24 Apr 1940 (his father)
3. American Battle Monuments Commission
4. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
5. Enlistment Record of Jefferson G. Gregory
6. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 12207
7. U.S. Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942–1949 (ancestry.com)
8. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939–1945
9. U.S. Tennessee Valley Authority. Family Removal and Population Readjustment Case Files, 1934–1953 (ancestry.com)
10. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
11. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Secretary, 487th Bomb Group Association
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
He had a brother, William Clarence Gregory (30 Jun 1920 – 28 Jul 2001) (called Clarence). In December 1941 the family had to move for the Tennessee Valley Authority to build Chatuge Dam, which created Chatuge Lake on the Georgia-North Carolina border. They moved to a farm in the community of Jacksonville, Georgia near the town Young Harris. His home of record was Route 1, Young Harris, Towns County, Georgia.
He completed one year of college and registered for the draft at Towns County, Georgia on June 30, 1942. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 130 pounds, and had blue eyes and blonde hair. He was single when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 31, 1943.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training and was assigned as tail gunner on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Howard A. Turnquist. The Turnquist crew completed B-17 crew training at Ardmore, Oklahoma and was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by October 4, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. Here is Lt Turnquist's crew roster on December 24, 1944:
B-17G 44-8614 – 836th Bomb Squadron (838th Bomb Squadron aircraft)
• Turnquist, Howard A – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Chatterton, Thomas C – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Ceder, Richard E – 2/Lt – Bombardier – Safe
• Jordan, Frank E – 2/Lt – Navigator – Safe
• Kleinman, Stanley – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – Safe
• Stanton, Warren J – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• MacHauer, David H – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – Safe
• Gregory, Jefferson G – S/Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Matz, Neil F – Sgt – Waist Gunner – Safe
On December 24, 1944, the 8th Air Force launched mission #760, the largest aerial mission of the war, which involved more than 2000 heavy bombers. The mission was to bomb German airfields and supply lines to stop the German offensive in the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 487th Bomb Group led the entire 8th Air Force on this mission. Lt Turnquist's crew flew B-17G 44-8614 in the number thirteen position at the tail end of the 487th Bomb Group's Low Squadron. The 487th Bomb Group's target was the airfield at Babenhausen, Germany, but the formation was attacked by German fighters south of Liege, Belgium, before the Allied fighter cover arrived. S/Sgt Gregory and three crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by German fighters. The aircraft crashed at Deigné, about 20 kilometers southeast of Liege. Five men survived. There is a memorial to the four men who were killed at Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium.
S/Sgt Gregory is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium, in Plot B, Row 5, Grave 24.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1940 US Census; Georgia; Towns County; West Hiawasee Road. Gregory, William C. 24 Apr 1940 (his father)
3. American Battle Monuments Commission
4. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
5. Enlistment Record of Jefferson G. Gregory
6. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 12207
7. U.S. Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942–1949 (ancestry.com)
8. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939–1945
9. U.S. Tennessee Valley Authority. Family Removal and Population Readjustment Case Files, 1934–1953 (ancestry.com)
10. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
11. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
Research by:
Paul Webber
Secretary, 487th Bomb Group Association
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Inscription
JEFFERSON G. GREGORY
S SGT 836 BOMB SQ 487 BOMB GP (H)
GEORGIA DEC 24 1944
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