Thomson Virgil E.

Name:

Virgil E. Thomson

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-679391

Unit:

578th Bomber Squadron, 392nd Bomber Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1944-01-04

State:

Alabama

Cemetery:

Cambridge American Cemetery, United Kingdom

Plot:

D

Row:

4

Grave:

19

Decoration:

Purple Heart

Comments:

Virgil E. Thomson was born on April 1, 1919. He was the son of William Eugene Thomson and Flossie Miller Thomson.

Virgil served in the 91st Troop Carrier Squadron, 578th Bomber Squadron, 392nd Bomber Group (Heavy) as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier of the B-24H #42-7485 'Alfred' in World War II. He was Killed in Action on January 4, 1944, in the crash of their aircraft when it was returning from the combat mission to Kiel, Germany. Due to severe aircraft damage, they were forced to attempt a crash landing just on the Northeastern coast of East Anglia at the small village of Sheringham, Norfolk. Four (4) crewmen were killed outright in the crash, and a fifth died in a hospital at Cromer four days later. The others survived.

2Lt Thomson is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

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