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Submit- Full
name
ELLISON, James David - Date of
birth
7 January 1917 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Crane, Stone County, Missouri -
Hometown
Springfield, Greene County, Missouri
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-776888 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Bombardier -
Unit
835th Bombardment Squadron,
486th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
15 October 1944 - Place of
death
Wiehl, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 1 | 35 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Loda H. Ellison (father)
Norva Ellison (mother)
Olyn Ellison (brother)
Norma E. Ellison (sister)
Margaret E. (Kitzmiller) Ellison (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-38136 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Snow White
Destination: Cologne, Germany
Mission: Bombing of railroad facilities
MACR: 9491
More information
2nd Lt James D. Ellison enlisted on 1 December 1942. He trained at various locations in New Mexico, Texas, California, Nevada, and Nebraska. He was sent to England in August 1944.The airplane was hit by flak over the target. One crew reported a wing breaking off before it entered a spin.
Two crew members survived and were taken prisoner, seven men were killed. They were initially buried at the cemetery of Oberbantenberg, Germany on 16 October 1944.
S/Sgt Crawford, one of the surviving crew members remembered that the entire crew was able to jump before hte airplane exploded. The explosion tore of the left wing and broke the plane in two at the waist.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil
Photo source: Jac Engels, www.findagrave.com - mokennenan