Name:
Leon J., Jr. Cole
Rank:
Second Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-705493
Unit:
334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group
Date of Death:
1944-06-11
State:
Tennessee
Cemetery:
Brittany American Cemetery, France
Plot:
J
Row:
18
Grave:
10
Decoration:
Purple Heart
Comments:
Leon J. Cole, Jr. was married to Alice Arts Bennett. He entered the military service in Tennessee. He served in the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, as a Second Lieutenant during World War II.
On June 11, 1944, he took off from Station 356 in Debden, England, on an armed reconnaissance mission. Lt Cole's plane, P-51C #42-103292, struck the ground during a strafing run. The plane regained a little altitude, pouring black smoke from the engine before exploding, ending up on the edge of a creek. His plane crashed northeast of Villedieu-les-Poêles, France.
2Lt Cole is now buried in the Brittany American Cemetery, Montjoie Saint Martin, France.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, francecrashes39-45.net