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name
TOWNSEND, Raymond Hunter Jr - Date of
birth
25 November 1916 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Oklahoma -
Hometown
Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-670670 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
68th Bombardment Squadron,
44th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
8 April 1944 - Place of
death
4 km northeast of Langlingen, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Raymond H. Townsend (father)
Eulala Townsend (mother)
Pearl E. Townsend (sister)
Marshell Townsend (brother)
Billy Townsend (brother)
Phyllis L. (Lowder) Townsend (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-109822 -
Data
Type: B-24J
Destination: Brunswick, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aviation industry
MACR: 3857
More information
The primary target was the aviation industry at Brunswick. This target as well as the secondary were obscured by a smoke screen, so a target of opportunity, Langenhagen/Hannover Aerodrome, was bombed instead.At 1407 hrs, in the target area, this airplane was hit by flak and fell back in formation with one engine smoking. Later it was seen to blow up.
Raymond Townsend didn't bail out. It is believed that he was killed during a last attack of enemy fighters as the ship started to spin.
Five crew members were killed, five were taken prisoner.
In the picture, he is shown receiving his first Oak Leave Cluster to his Air Medal, presented by Col. John H. Gibson.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com, MACR, www.findagrave.com, www.ancestry.com - 1920/1930 Census, The Post-Register - 4 June 1944, www.findagrave.com - John Dowdy, MACR 3857
Photo source: FOHF, The Post-Register - 28 May 1944, Find A Grave - LKat