1st Lt Ball Edwin C 0-798233 339FG/505FS

[Alain57]

Hello all ,
1st Lt Ball Edwin C 0-798233 339FG/505FS was KIA on august 9 1944 when his P-51 42-106937 crashed near Roselare Belgium. 1st Ball is buried at Margraten Netherlands , but where was initially buried ?

Regards
Alain57

[RSwank]

MACR 7438 for this crash can be seen here: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91033546

However, there is an interesting statement here about Edwin Ball, by Jim Starnes. (Search for BALL.)

http://339fg.s3.amazonaws.com/news/V...021%20%232.pdf

"Edwin C. Ball (505) was lost on Aug. 8, 1944 while strafing a train in Northern France.
Although the witness statement by George Knight states they were near Roulers, Belgium, his body and the aircraft wreckage were found well inside French territory. Ed Ball was one of our original pilots in Dick Olander's flight with me, and one of our original pilots. His bed was next to mine in our Nissan Hut at Fowlmere. I was not on that mission but wrote his widow what few details were known on Ed’s loss. There was no parachute. She wrote back for more details, but there was little I could add. "

This link gives the crash site as Wasquehal (a suburb NE of Lille, France).

http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=7896

[Alain57]

Hi ,

Thank you very much for your reply

Regards
Alain57

[Ted51abcdk]

Alain57:
The German J and AV Reports, J-1879 and AV 1273/44, list the crash site as Wasuehal-100m N/ 8km NE Lille. Hope that this helps a bit. Ted51

[RSwank]

Ted, thanks for that. The AV report is online in the US Archives. It gives the first burial location as:

Local Cemetery Lille South. English Section Part No. 82, 4th Row, Grave 8.

https://catalog.archives.gov/id/18238571 (go to image 80 of 237, see bottom of image window).

As you know, the current burial location is Margraten: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...7/edwin-c-ball