Charles Vernon Bowles Jr
Military ROLL OF HONOURPhoto cropped from crew photograph in the possession of the Howard G Mertens Family
Charles was the youngest child and only son of Charles V Bowles Sr and Maude "Lovey" (Estes) Bowles. Born in Atlanta, GA, he moved at a young age with his parents first to Highland Park, Michigan, then Chicago, Illinois, where he graduated from Hide Park Career Academy High School in 1940, and before enlistment, to St Louis, Missouri. He never married and produced no known issue.
Charles served as the Radio Operator / 2nd Waist Gunner on the B-17G, #446140 'Miss Lace,' on 30 Nov 1944 when it encountered heavy flak over the target, the Brabag Synthetic Oil Plant just northeast of Zeitz, Germany. After a near explosion of flak, the plane lost its right wing and entered a vertical spiral while ablaze. It was at this point that Charles jumped from the plane to his death, or more probably, was sucked through the fuselage gash caused when the right wing sheared off the plane. He was the sole crew member whose remains were found within the municipality of Belgershain, Germany. The parachute strapped to his body had not been deployed. He wore his dog tags and a high school class ring engraved with his initials, "C V B."
Belgershain citizens buried his remains in their town cemetery, where they remained until the US Army exhumed them during late June of 1945. Identification of his remains was made from his military identification tag, his military dental records, and his class ring. His remains were re-interred in Ardennes American Cemetery, Neuville-en-Condroz, Arrondissement de liege, Liege Belgium, at his father's request.
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-822790
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33758785
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-772108
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
Aircraft
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
29 August 1921 | ||
Died |
30 November 1944 | ||
Buried |
German burial in Belgershain town cemetery. Exhumed and reinterred in Plot A Row 42 Grave 32, Ardennes American Cemetery, Liege, Belgium. |
Revisions
Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.
Date and place of birth from World War II Draft Registration for Charles Vernon Bowles Jr of St Louis, St Louis City, MO.
Individual Deceased Personnel File for Charles V Bowles, Jr; Missing Air Crew Report #11126; German "Downed Enemy Aircraft Report, KU 3401;" ancestry.com research of Janine Hunter, Reagan, TN.
Individual Deceased Personnel File for Charles V Bowles Jr; Missing Aircrew Report #11126; ancestry.com research by Janine Hunter, Reagan, TN.
Individual Deceased Personnel Record for Charles V Bowles Jr: Missing Aircrew Report # 11126; ancestry.com research of Janine Hunter.
Independent Deceased Personnel File for Charles V Bowles, Jr; Missing Aircrew Report #11126; ancestry.com research of Janine Hunter.
Source: MACR 11126 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11126; 379th Bombardment Group Anthology, pg 326