John Q West Jr
Military ROLL OF HONOURJohn West served as a pilot with the 598th Bomb Squadron of the 397th Bomb Group. On 1 August 1944, he was killed when his B-26 43-34126 "By Golly" crashed in France near Angers. He is buried in Brittany American Cemetery.
From http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=5322:
'2nd Lt Douglas H. Cramer, navigator of the B-26 Marauder 43-34126 "By Golly", took off from station 168 Rivenhall, Essex, UK on a bombing mission to destroy a bridge in Angers. They were targeted and shot down by a German Me-109. The plane was partially bailed out, but Cramer and Cpt West did not make it. Cramer's parachute had burned, rendering it useless. In order to save his navigator, West opted to try to land the plane instead of bailing out himself. The plane exploded in midair before he could manage that.'
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: By Golly
- Unit: 397th Bomb Group 598th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Died |
1 August 1944 | ||
|
Other Entered service from |
Mississippi, USA | ||
|
Buried |
Plot P Row 4 Grave 17 | ||
|
Born |