Aldecoa Manuel James

Name:

Manuel James Aldecoa

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-743392

Unit:

343rd Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group

Date of Death:

1943-11-25

State:

Washington

Cemetery:

Morris Hill Cemetery, Boise, Idaho

Plot:

MHILL

Row:

12

Grave:

28-1

Decoration:

Air Medal, Purple Heart

Comments:

Manuel James Aldecoa was born on November 26, 1917. He enlisted on November 2, 1940, at Vancouver Barracks, WA.

Manuel served in the Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, as a Fighter pilot of the P-38 Lightning #42-67061 during World War II. On November 25, 1943, he took off from airfield station 131 at RAF Nuthampstead, England, on a sweep mission to Lille and Arras in France. At 1:20 PM, his plane was shot down by an Fw190 Fighter plane (possibly collision with his opponent Maj. Johannes Siefert). The plane was evacuated by parachute, but one German airplane came to strafe it. The parachute tore, resulting in the death of 2Lt Aldecoa.

2Lt Aldecoa is now buried in the Morris Hill Cemetery, Boise, Ada County, Idaho, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net