Name:
Charles D., Jr. Cole
Rank:
Second Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-717385
Unit:
535th Bomber Squadron, 381st Bomber Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1944-07-04
State:
Arkansas
Cemetery:
Fort Smith National Cemetery, Fort Smith, Sebastian County, Arkansas, USA
Plot:
9
Row:
0
Grave:
3971
Decoration:
Comments:
Charles D. Cole, Jr. was born on April 8, 1922. He served in the 535th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group, as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator on the B-17 Fortress #42-38117 "Touch The Button Nell II" during World War II.
On July 4, 1944, his crew took off from Station 167 Airfield in Ridgewell, England, on a bombing mission to Pont de la Riche, Tours, France. At 08:14h, due to technical problems with two engines after the bomb release, the airplane was partially evacuated at a very low altitude and crashed in the commune of Persac. The incident resulted in the deaths of seven crew members, only two survived. 2Lt Cole was one of the casualties.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net