Charles Vernon Thornton
Military ROLL OF HONOURSent through to the American Air Museum by researcher Jan Jolie, via Ann Thornton (Major Thornton's niece).
On 22-Feb-44, after an attack on the airbase of Gilze-Rijen, the B-26 41-31644 'Crescendo' of the 555th Bomb Squadron crashed in Oosterhout, near the airbase.
All 7 crew members safely left the Crescendo except the pilot, Major Charles Vernon Thornton, who died in the crash.
Awards: DFC (2OLC), AM (3OLC), EAME, PH.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
- Nicknames: Crescendo
- Unit: 386th Bomb Group 552nd Bomb Squadron 555th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Little Easton
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, The Netherlands
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Blum, TX | 24 October 1919 | |
Died |
Oosterhout, Netherlands | 22 February 1944 | |
Based Killed in Action (KIA) |
Great Dunmow | 22 February 2044 | Assigned to 55BS, 386BG, 9AF USAAF. |
Buried |
Netherlands American Cemetery | Re-Interred Netherlands American Cemetery Margraten, Netherlands Plot I, Row 8, Grave 7 |
Revisions
Information sent through to the American Air Museum by researcher Jan Jolie.
Listed as belonging to the 555th Bomb Squadron so added his group - 386th Bomb Group - from that information.
9th Air Force Roll of Honor (IWM in liaison with Ninth Air Force veterans and group associations, American Battle Monuments Commission, and Buddies of the Ninth Association) / B-26 memorials guide