Raper John Winston “Jack”

Monuments

100th Bomber Group and 5th Emergency Squadron Crash Memorial

Name:

John Winston “Jack” Raper

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-815966

Unit:

349th Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1944-05-07

State:

Alabama

Cemetery:

Cambridge American Cemetery, United Kingdom

Plot:

Row:

Grave:

159

Decoration:

Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Comments:

John Winston “Jack” Raper was born on May 19, 1921, in Amory, Monroe County, Mississippi. He served in the 349th Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on the B-17 #42-38053 "Cap'n Crow" during World War II.

Their B-17 crashed on May 7, 1944, over Somerleyton in Suffolk, England near the East Anglian coastline. They were on a mission to Berlin along with over 900 bombers. One of the signal flares in the plane exploded and started fires that could not be contained. Wright rang the bail-out alarm. Jack Raper stayed, helping fight for control as the crew bailed out. Both Wright and Raper died, along with three other crew members who were trapped in the plane.

2Lt Raper is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom, in the same plot as 2Lt Wright.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov