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Lester Joseph PAVEL
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| ARMY SERIAL NUMBER | O-750830 | |||||
| AGE | 24 yo | |||||
| DATE OF BIRTH | 29 September 1920 | |||||
| STATE | Solon IOWA | |||||
| FAMILY |
Parents : Joseph & Margaret Krob PAVEL Siblings : Margaret, Paul Victor & Dorothy Mae | |||||
| RANK | 2nd Lieutenant | |||||
| FONCTION | Co Pilot | |||||
| JOB before ENLISTEMENT | Semiskilled mechanics and repairmen, motor vehicles |  | ||||
| DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 19 november 1940 Fort des Moines IOWA | |||||
| SQUADRON | 862nd Bomber Squadron | |||||
| GROUP | 493rd Bomber Group, Heavy "Heltons Hellcats" | |||||
| ARMY | 8th Air Force | |||||
| DATE OF DEATH | 6 june 1944 |
Source : F Lavernhe | ||||
| STATUS | MIA | |||||
| PLACE OF DEATH | Giraumont Compiègne | |||||
| DATA PLAN |
Liberator B-24 N° 42-94789 et le surnom « Moby Dick » Take-Off Station 152 Debah Suffolk UK
Mission: Bombing of Lisieux (14) Air collision at 11,000 feet with the B-24 44-40471 Cpt Jack COOPER at 10:28(Macr 5485) | |||||
| CEMETERY | BRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY from St James | |||||
| GRAVE |
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| DECORATION |
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| STORY | ||||||
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Lester was a crew member on a B-24 Liberator was part of the fleet with the No. 42-94789 and the nickname "Moby Dick" These aircraft participated in the first mission of the 862nd squadron of heavy bombers called "Hellcats Heltons" . This first mission, which took place June 6, 1944 was to the bombing of Lisieux (France), but the clouds were so thick that the Liberators could not drop their bombs and had to turn back with their loads. At about 10:28, at 11 000 feet above the English Channel, the "Moby Dick" collided with another B-24 Liberator called "No love No Nothin 'No. 44-40471 which had apparently struck the tail of "Moby Dick". Both planes have disappeared in the clouds and have sunk in the sea. This is Lieutenant Donald Russell who piloted the B-24 in which Kenneth was Lebl browser. The 10 crew members perished in the crash. In the "No Love No Nothin ', 9 men were killed and one was captured. |  | |||||
Crew B24 Liberator - Type J s/n 42-94789 Carré X
"Moby Dick" | |||
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| 1Lt Donald L RUSSELL | Pilot | Detroit MICHIGAN |
Dead MIA |
| 2nd Lieutenant Lester J PAVEL | Copilot | Solon IOWA | |
| 2nd Lieutenant Kenneth E LEBL | Navigator | Chicago ILLINOIS | |
| 2nd Lieutenant George W SHARMAN | Bomber | Wyomissing PENNSYLVANIA | |
| T/Sergeant Roscoe E WILSON | Radio | Tyler TEXAS | |
| S/Sergeant Billy M HOLLINGSWORTH | Mecanic | TEXAS | |
| Sergeant William Horace SMITH | Gunner | Russellville ALABAMA | |
| Sergeant Dallas L KINCAID | Gunner A | Hastings NEBRASKA | |
| Sergeant Tony CADDELL | Gunner V | Dallas TEXAS | |
| Sergeant Charles M BUJTOR Jr | Gunner S | Cleveland OHIO | |
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| INFORMATION SOURCES | Aad.archives.gov - Francecrashes39-45.net |
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| PICTURE SOURCE | Frédéric LAVERNHE - Rollofhonour.airport.gg |
| PROGRAMMER | Frédéric & Renaud |