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Personal info

Full name
DOWDA, Thomas Butler "Tommy"
Date of birth
14 January 1926
Age
19
Place of birth
Palatka, Putnam County, Florida
Hometown
Palatka, Putnam County, Florida

Military service

Service number
34947361
Rank
Private First Class
Function
unknown
Unit
C Company,
1st Battalion,
513th Parachute Infantry Regiment,
17th Airborne Division
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
24 March 1945
Place of death
Hamminkeln, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
M 22 2

Immediate family

Members
Charles S. Dowda (father)
Clifford (McGauley) Dowda (mother)
Audrey Dowda (sister)
Jeanette Dowda (sister)
Charles S. Dowda (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
unknown
Data
unknown

More information

Pfc Thomas B. Dowda enlisted at Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia on 23 May 1944.

He was a passenger of C-46D #44-77595, which was shot down by anti-aircraft fire on the aproach to the dropzone and exploded when hitting the ground.

The entire crew of four men was killed and of the 34 passengers, only 10 survived.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.fold3.com - WWII Draft Cards, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree / 1940 Census

Photo source: Tom Verheijden, Storiesbehindthestars.org