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Personal info

Full name
MC CAFFREY, Philip James
Date of birth
6 October 1918
Age
26
Place of birth
Solano County, California
Hometown
Solano County, California

Military service

Service number
39137896
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Waist Gunner
Unit
563rd Bombardment Squadron,
388th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
26 November 1944
Place of death
Heessen, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
D 20 22

Immediate family

Members
Philip J. Mc Caffrey (father)
Margaret (Scanlan) Mc Caffrey (mother)
Thomas Mc Caffrey (brother)
John E. Mc Caffrey (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
44-6626
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Thunderbird
Destination: Hamm, Germany
MACR: 11207

More information

Lt Daniels in a/c 44-6626 "Thunderbird", was hit by flak on the bomb run and left the formation. With the cockpit filled with smoke, in anticipation of an explosion, the pilot sounded the bail-out alarm. The plane exploded and surviving crew members were apparently blown from the plane. The following group bombed through the parachutes, apparently taking one crew member down with them, (per German description of a "streamer").

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Michel Beckers, Astrid van Erp, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / Birth Index

Photo source: Peter Schouteten