Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until September 10, 1945.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
George served as a Staff Sergeant & Ball Turret Gunner on B-17G #42-39975, 323rd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Norfolk County, Virginia prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 26, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office machine operator and also as Married.
B-17G #42-39975 took off from Newcastle, England on a bombing mission over Dessau, Germany. Just after a successful bombing run they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire and then attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled two of their engines. They were believed to have crashed into the North Sea while trying to return to Newcastle. The entire crew of 9 was lost on this mission.
George was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # 33630825
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-39975:
Clements, William P ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Cogdill, Tommy ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, SC
Collier, Zack C, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, TX
Kelleher, John T ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, WI
Kogut, Stephen ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McDermott, Harry J, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Semon, Charles J ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, PA
Ward, Harry L ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OR
Zirnheld, George R ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, VA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
George served as a Staff Sergeant & Ball Turret Gunner on B-17G #42-39975, 323rd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Norfolk County, Virginia prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 26, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office machine operator and also as Married.
B-17G #42-39975 took off from Newcastle, England on a bombing mission over Dessau, Germany. Just after a successful bombing run they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire and then attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled two of their engines. They were believed to have crashed into the North Sea while trying to return to Newcastle. The entire crew of 9 was lost on this mission.
George was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # 33630825
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-39975:
Clements, William P ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Cogdill, Tommy ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, SC
Collier, Zack C, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, TX
Kelleher, John T ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, WI
Kogut, Stephen ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McDermott, Harry J, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Semon, Charles J ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, PA
Ward, Harry L ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OR
Zirnheld, George R ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, VA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until September 10, 1945.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
George served as a Staff Sergeant & Ball Turret Gunner on B-17G #42-39975, 323rd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Norfolk County, Virginia prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 26, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office machine operator and also as Married.
B-17G #42-39975 took off from Newcastle, England on a bombing mission over Dessau, Germany. Just after a successful bombing run they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire and then attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled two of their engines. They were believed to have crashed into the North Sea while trying to return to Newcastle. The entire crew of 9 was lost on this mission.
George was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # 33630825
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-39975:
Clements, William P ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Cogdill, Tommy ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, SC
Collier, Zack C, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, TX
Kelleher, John T ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, WI
Kogut, Stephen ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McDermott, Harry J, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Semon, Charles J ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, PA
Ward, Harry L ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OR
Zirnheld, George R ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, VA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
George served as a Staff Sergeant & Ball Turret Gunner on B-17G #42-39975, 323rd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Norfolk County, Virginia prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 26, 1943 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as an Office machine operator and also as Married.
B-17G #42-39975 took off from Newcastle, England on a bombing mission over Dessau, Germany. Just after a successful bombing run they were hit by ground anti-aircraft fire and then attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled two of their engines. They were believed to have crashed into the North Sea while trying to return to Newcastle. The entire crew of 9 was lost on this mission.
George was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.
Service # 33630825
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-39975:
Clements, William P ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Cogdill, Tommy ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, SC
Collier, Zack C, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, TX
Kelleher, John T ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, WI
Kogut, Stephen ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McDermott, Harry J, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Semon, Charles J ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, PA
Ward, Harry L ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, OR
Zirnheld, George R ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, VA
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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