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name
SENART, Bernard F Jr - Date of
birth
7 July 1919 -
Age
25 - Place of
birth
Ohio -
Hometown
Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-687770 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
599th Bombardment Squadron,
397th Bombardment Group, Medium
-
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
23 December 1944 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Daun, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Luxembourg
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 9 | 4 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Bernard F. Senart (father)
Mary E. Senart (mother)
Shirley E. Senart (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-96182 -
Data
Type: B-26B
Nickname: Miss Furie
Destination: Ediger-Eller, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Eller railroad bridge
MACR: 11487
More information
Bernard Senart graduated from Parker High School, attended Perdue College for one year and was employed by the United Aircraft Corp.He enlisted at Fort Thomas, Kentucky on 13 March 1941.
The airplane was attacked by enemy fighters. Crew members of other airplanes in de group saw the left engine and left side burning and reported it crashed on a hillside.
One crew member was taken prisoner, five men were killed.
From Brian Gibbons, 397th BG Historian: Co-Pilot Robert Altman is the only known survivor from this aircraft, despite four being reported as having parachuted out!? At least two of those, possibly all four, along with some other aircraft crewmen, were attacked after they had landed near Daun, Germany. The full details of the attack, which formed part of a potential war crimes trial, have unfortunately gone missing from the files that were created for that trial. As no specific individuals could also be found or confirmed, nobody was ever brought before a court for what was clearly a horrendous action. The attack resulted in several men being killed or so severely beaten that a German Army officer administered a 'Coupe de Grace' to end some of their lives. Only that unidentified officer, and the few that witnessed or where involved in the attack(s) will ever really know a small part of the events of that day.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov, Bridge Busters: The 397th Bombardment Group (Medium) and the B-26 Marauder in World War II (dtic.mil), www.ancestry.com, www.americanairmuseum.com, www.fold3.com, www.findagrave.com
Photo source: www.findagrave.com