Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
DOWIS, David Donald - Date of
birth
17 May 1918 -
Age
26 - Place of
birth
Los Angeles County, California -
Hometown
San Diego, San Diego County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
39164394 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Waist Gunner -
Unit
563rd Bombardment Squadron,
388th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 August 1944 - Place of
death
Cooling Mine “”Alexander”” close to Duchcov in north Bohemia
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 8 | 3 |
Immediate family
-
Members
James Dowis (father)
Lyndall R. (Carner) Dowis (mother)
Lloyd Dowis (brother)
Verna Dowis (sister)
Melody B. (Vaganis) Dowis (wife)
David W. Dowis (son)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-107202 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Belle of the Brawl
Destination: Brux, Czechoslowakia
MACR: 8287
More information
Bombs were away at 1246 hours. Strike photos show excellent results for the A Group with a tight pattern covering the MPI. Most of the B Group bombs fell short of the Target. The C Group reported "good strikes" but no photos were taken on their bombing. The target was bombed visually in CAVU weather. Heavy accurate flak was encountered at the Target and one of our a/c was lost due to this. Meager flak was encountered at Heligoland. 4 a/c had major damage and 19 a/c had minor damage from flak.
Source of information: Michael Beckers, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, Lisa J. Tkachuk,
www.archives.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Lisa Tkachuk (granddaughter)