lokking for crew informatin of Boston III (AL677)
 

I hope somebody here can help me with some information about the crew of the Boston III AL677 how crash in the 4th of July 1942 east of Den Helder Holland. It was attacking the luftwaffe airfield De Kooy.
The crew of this plane were:


Pilot 2nd LT Frederick A Loehrl: Age? Please of living?
Nav 2nd LT Marshall D Draper: Serial number?, POW-camp? Please of living?
Gn Corp. James W Wright: Serial number?, Where is he buried? Please of living?
Gn Serg. Robert L Whitman: I have read he is buried on Neuville en Condroz. is this true? Please of living?


Thanks en regards, René

Re: lokking for crew informatin of Boston III (AL677)
 

René,

The crew were Americans.

Frederick A. Loehrl (O-432079) from Washington State. Commemorated at Margraten (Wall of the Missing).

Marshall Draper from California (O-724264). POW at Moosburg, Bavaria.

James Wright (19000376) from California. Buried at Neupré (Ardennes American Cemetery).

No info about Robert L. Whitman (yet). Not mentioned on ABMC nor in NARA POW database.

Unit is given as 15th BS, 27th BG on abmc.gov.

Boston AL677 (MQ-P) was borrowed from the RAF.

Groet,

Leendert

Re: lokking for crew informatin of Boston III (AL677)
 

René,

The name is Robert L. Whitham. He was from Pierce County, Washington.
ASN 6563963.
No gravesite found so far.

Groet,

Leendert

Re: lokking for crew informatin of Boston III (AL677)
 

This was considered the "First" AAF raid in Europe in WWII. Some discussion on this link. Unfortunately it does not seem to clear up the exact fate of Whitham/Whitman.

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archiv...hp?t-9166.html

Re: lokking for crew informatin of Boston III (AL677)
 

Robert L. Whitham is listed as KIA in the NARA Honor List for Washington State and website wwiimemorial, but so far no info found about his final resting place. Not mentioned on ABMC, nor such websites as gravelocator or findagrave. Also not in the WW II MIA list of DTIC.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: lokking for crew informatin of Boston III (AL677)
 

Leendert en RSwank....thanks a lot for all the information.

Re: lokking for crew informatin of Boston III (AL677)
 

Mystex,
A couple of final comments on Robert L Whitham. He is listed in the July 5 1943 edition of Life magazine (page 37) with next of kin listed as living in Centralia, Washington.

http://books.google.com/books?id=SFA...epage&q&f=true

Edmonds, Washington honors Robert Whitham in their annual Memorial day Program. He apparently went to school in Edmonds. (There is only one Robert Whitham from Washington State killed in WWII, so it would appear to be him).
http://www.ci.edmonds.wa.us/images/1...DayProgram.pdf

The Seattle Times ran an article on Sept 3, 1942 about Loehrl and Whitham getting purple hearts posthumously.

"TWO SEATTLE MEN AWARDED PURPLE HEARTS POSTHUMOUSLY

2nd Lt. Frederick A. Loehrl and Sgt. Robert L. Whitham were killed when their Douglas bomber crashed during the first U.S. raid on Nazi-occupied Holland."


http://community.seattletimes.nwsour...6&slug=1511496

Re: lokking for crew informatin of Boston III (AL677)
 

Guys
As per Bishop/Hayes Losses of the US 8th and 9th AF Sgt Whitham was recovered from the sea between Vlieland Island and Harlingen on the Dutch mainland and was buried in the General Cemetery at Harlingen.

B Rgds
Stig

Re: lokking for crew informatin of Boston III (AL677)
 

Whitham recovered 11-7-1942 from the "Vliestroom" a water between Harlingen and Vlieland Island.

Henk.