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name
LYFORD, George Edmond - Date of
birth
15 October 1924 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Evanston, Cook County, Illinois -
Hometown
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-2072806 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
835th Bombardment Squadron,
486th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
7 April 1945 - Place of
death
Parchim, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Robert E. Lyford (father)
Geneva M. (Gifford) Lyford (mother)
Robert G. Lyford (brother)
Vivian P. Lyford (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-39163 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Happy Warrior
Destination: Parchim, Germany
Mission: Operational Bombing
MACR: 13889
More information
2nd Lt George E. Lyford entered the service from New Jersey.Eyewitness Statement:
"At 1440 hours, over the target area (at an altitude of 15,000), a/c 846 released its bombs and one of the 100-lb. clusters broke apart and floated through the formation. One of the 20-lb. bombs in the cluster apparently became armed and hit a/c 163. The a/c seemed to burst into flame immediately. Six men jumped from this a/c and five chutes were definitely seen to open."
2nd Lt George E. Lyford bailed out. According to a crew member he escaped into the woods with another crew member, S/Sgt Frank W. Pikula, and had not been captured at the time of his report. He believed both were killed by Germans on landing or after capture.
Source of information: Dennis and Gerda Hermsen, Astrid van Erp, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, WWII Draft Card, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Michel Beckers/Robin Smith (Historican & Webmaster) 486th BGA