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name
PLAGIANOS, Leon Michael - Date of
birth
10 February 1917 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Lock Haven, Clinton County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
New York, New York County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-708040 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Bombardier -
Unit
749th Bombardment Squadron,
457th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
8 November 1944 - Place of
death
North Sea
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Michael Plagianos (father)
Kaliope Plagianos (mother)
Anna Plagianos (sister)
George Plagianos (brother)
Irene Plagianos (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-38046 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Harf and Harf
Destination: Merseberg, Germany
Mission: Objective Bombing
MACR: 10344
More information
Leon M. Plagianos graduated from Lock Haven Junior High School, attended Pennsylvania State College and graudated from New York University. He was a supervisor before he enlisted on 22 October 1941 at Camp Upton, New York.Both his parents were born in Greece.
The plane was returning on a "Recall" from a mission to Merseberg when it collided with another plane in the same formation and was cut in two by the rotating props of the other plane. The two pieces spun and fell away into the haze and clouds and crashed into the Channel. The other plane that collided with them, A/C 44-8418, though damaged, left the formation and dropped down to look for survivors. They spotted a man in a Mae West and made several futile attempts at dropping a dinghy to him. They had to leave him and safely returned to Glatton. When Air-Sea Rescue arrived they found the dinghy but no one was in it. All crew members were killed.
Source of information: Michel Beckers, Peter Schouteten, Astrid van Erp, www.newspapers.com - Harrisburg Telegraph / The Courier-News, www.ancestry.com - U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.newspapers.com - The Courier-News, www.americanairmuseum.com, Homepage - The 457th Bomb Group (H) Association (457thbombgroupassoc.org)