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name
JONES, Jearld Henry - Date of
birth
12 March 1917 -
Age
26 -
Place of birth
Hector, Pope County, Arkansas -
Hometown
Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
18097038 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
324th Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
21 May 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, north of Schiermonikoog, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
James H. Jones (father)
Martha (Gross) Jones (mother)
Auga Jones (sister)
Otho A. Jones (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-24515 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Jersey Bounce / Marie Jane
Destination: Wilhemshaven, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat yards
MACR: 3458
More information
Jearld H. Jones's father died in 1919 and his mother in 1921, leaving three orphaned children. The children then lived with various relatives. Jerald was living with his great grandparents in 1930. Sometime before 1930, his uncle, James Ealon Gross, left Arkansas and moved to Arizona. Each of the three children separately moved to Arizona, presumably as their uncle procured employment for them.S/Sgt Jearld H. Jones worked on a farm.
He volunteered for the Army of the United States in Arizona on 9 March 1942. He was sent overseas in September 1942.
The airplane was shot down by enemy fighters. The entire crew of ten men was killed.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, NARA - MACR, www.newspapers.com - Tucson Daily Citizen / Casa Grande Dispatch, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees, www.fold3.com - WWII Draft Card
Photo source: www.findagrave.com