O'KEEFE James W - 551 BS 385 BGH

 

James W. O'KEEFE

 

OKEEFE_James_W_

Source : C Scott (Ellen Marchese)

UMBER OF SERVICE32447695
AGE22 yo
DATE OF BIRTH21 June 1921 NEW YORK
ENLISTMENT STATE NEW YORK
FAMILY

Spouse : Irene E. Beaupre Hanley

Parents : James J. & Corinne L. Branigan O'KEEFE

Siblings : Mary M., James William & James W.

RANK
Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant
FONCTIONGunner
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENTAttendants, filling stations and parking lots NY
DATE of ENLISTEMENT8 August 1942 Albany NEW YORK
 SQUADRON551st Bomber Squadron 
 GROUP385th Bomber Group, Heavy
ARMY8th US Air Force
DATE OF DEATH5 December 1943

OKEEFE_James_W_

Source : Andy

STATUSMIA
PLACE OF DEATHIn sea - 6 km de Lacanau
PLAN DE VOL

B-17 Fortress - type F-55-DL - s/n 42-3397 HR*

"The Fighting Cock"

b17

Macr : 1337
Mission : Bombing Bordeaux (33)

Takeoff station 155 Great Ashfield Suffolk
Attacked by 2 fighters after aircraft left formation due to engine disturbance

Pilot places aircraft on water  The rafts are then attacked by the hunters, killing 6 men

 
CEMETERYRHONE AMERICAN CEMETERY and MEMORIAL of Draguignan

Map of Rhône American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
Wall of the Missing
DECORATION

Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters,

Purple Heart

World War II Victory Medal

Badge Gunner


Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Photo FDLM

victory medal

Aerial_Gunner_Badge

 
 
usaf  8air force  385bg 551st Bomber Squadron
STORY
OKEEFE_James_W_-_stele  

 Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery
Schuylerville, Saratoga County, NEW YORK

Source : Alice

OKEEFE_James_W_-_stele

 

Crew of B-17 Fortress - type F-55-DL - s/n 42-3397 HR

"The Fighting Cock"

1Lt Theodore J.
KLEUSER Pilot Dead MIA - Tablets Cim Am Rhône Draguignan  O-670568 - AM+3/PH - 1917 Pulaski Co, Arkansas - Son of John et Mary Helen (Barzen) Kleuser
2Lt John W "Jack" SLATER CoPilot Dead Cim Am Ardennes Neupre (Belg) O-804745 - PH - 1923 à Niwot, Colorado - Son of Harry et Hannah Delilah "Anna" (Webb) Slater
1Lt Frederick D "Fred" ALBERT Navigator Dead Long Island Nat Cem. Farmingdale, New York O-797328 - 24 yo - Bronx, New York
1Lt Thomas H BETOW Bomber Prisoner - Stalag Luft I Barth-Vogelsang  O-738687 - Marion, Wisconsin
Sgt Ernest Arlington HIBBARD Gunner Dead MIA - Tablets Cim Am Rhône Draguignan 35257660 - 30 ans - Né le 29/08/1913 Clay Co, Kentucky - Son of Gilbert G et Gertrude (Reid) Hibbard
T/Sgt Walter V OLOWNIUK Radio/Gunner Prisoner  - Stalag Luft III Sagan 36513459 - Detroit, Michigan
S/Sgt Stanley WYSOKINSKI Gunner Dead MIA - Tablets Cim Am Rhône Draguignan 12059857 - DFC/PH/AM+2 - 23 ans - Né le 09/10/1920 à Dupont, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania - Son of Sylvester et Albina (Slobodzian) Wysokinski
S/Sgt Stewart H Jr DAY Gunner Prisoner - Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf  11097469
S/Sgt Leo Edward DeGRAW Gunner Dead MIA - Tablets Cim Am Rhône Draguignan 32462686 - DFC/AM+3/PH - 22 ans
S/Sgt James W "Red" O'KEEFE Gunner Dead MIA - Tablets Cim Am Rhône Draguignan 32447695 - AM+2 - 22 ans - Né le 21/06/1921 New York - Son of James et Corinne (Branigan) O'Keefe - Epoux de Irene E O'Keefe, New York

KLEUSER_Theodore_J

385th Bomb Group - 551st Bomb Squadron, Crew 35 (Mary Pat); B-17, WWII. Front row (L to R): Frederick D. Albert, Thomas H. Betow, Theodore J. Kleuser (pilot), Ruel G. Weikert. Back row: James W. O'Keefe, Leo E. DeGraw, Stewart H. Day Jr., Mushrush (replaced by Ernest Hibbard), Stanley Wysokinaki, and Walter V. Olowniuk. 1ST. LT. Theodore Kleuser, was the pilot of the B17, named, "The Fightling Cock" that ditched in the Bay of Biscay that frightful day in 1943. According to the last living survivor of the crash, Stewart Day (tail gunner), 

Source : C. Scott

SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTOFrancecrashes39-45.net - Janet DeGRAW (Findagrave.com) -  Abmc.gov
PROGRAMMEURSVictor,  Jean-Philippe, Eric, Henri, Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud
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