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Submit- Full
name
BRADLEY, Raymond Eugene - Date of
birth
22 July 1923 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Creston, Union County, Iowa -
Hometown
Creston, Union County, Iowa
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
37663260 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner -
Unit
563rd Bombardment Squadron,
388th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
28 September 1944 - Place of
death
Merseburg, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 11 | 32 |
Immediate family
-
Members
John F. Bradley (father)
Alma C. (Olblachlager) Bradley (mother)
Edwin Bradley (brother)
Eileen Bradley (sister)
Theodore A. Bradley (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-102953 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Sky Anne
Destination: Merseburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Leuna oil refinery
MACR: 9380
More information
S/Sgt Raymond E. Bradley attended high school for four years and was a longshoreman.He enlisted at Camp Dodge, Iowa on 25 February 1943.
Over the target and after the bombs were dropped, this airplane was hit by flak in the nose section and started evasive action, lost altitude and in a right turn cut in on his right wing plane, #43-38404. This airplane was out of formation at that moment and was trying to get back in. The tail of #42-102953 was cut off and the left wing of #43-38404 was damaged with #1 engine being knocked out. This airplane went into a spin, cutting off the wings.
From the crew of this airplane, two crew members survived and were taken prisoner. Seven men were killed.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.388bg.org, www.ancestry.com - Iowa, County Births
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Bert-Jan Sengers