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Personal info

Full name
FARISS, Jack Price
Date of birth
29 October 1923
Age
20
Place of birth
Bedford County, Virginia
Hometown
Bedford County, Virginia

Military service

Service number
19127577
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Ball Turret Gunner
Unit
568th Bombardment Squadron,
390th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Missing in Action
Date of death
11 December 1943
Place of death
North Sea

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Elton P. Fariss (father)
Lillie M. Fariss (mother)
Mary E. Fariss (sister)
Alta M. Fariss (sister)
Henry C. Fariss (brother)
James Fariss (brother)
Claude Fariss (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31122
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Six Nights in Telergma (Arabian Nights)
Destination: Emden, Germany
MACR: 1583

More information

S/Sgt Jack P. Fariss graduated from Huddleston High School in 1940.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States on 9 September 1942 in Los Angeles, California.

The aircraft was shot down by an Bf 110G-2 of ZG 26 with a rocket over the North Sea, Germany.

Andrew Anzanos 390th BG, 570th Squadron, Top Turret/Flight Engineer: "I was on that mission on 11 December 1943 and had a close-up view as the a/c with wing on fire went by us and the copilot was climbing out on the wing through the copilots window!! It turned out that it was Maj Hansel the Command Pilot who did not survive. It looked like he was trying to reach back in for his chest chute when he lost his grip. They were the lead ship. The a/c kept drifting back and blew up out of my sight. I had never heard of before or since of an escape through the side pilot's windows."

S/Sgt Fariss is remembered at Pecks Baptist Church Cemetery in Bedford County, Virginia with a memorial marker.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.390th.org, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, Andrew Anzanos (390th BG, 570th Sqd, Top Turret/Flight Engineer)

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Michel Beckers/Mark Klausen, findagrave.com - David Paul, The Bedford Democrat - 5 July 1945