Guertin Arthur Lawrence

Name:

Arthur Lawrence Guertin

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-797117

Unit:

535th Bomber Squadron, 381st Bomber Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1944-04-28

State:

Michigan

Cemetery:

Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial, France

Plot:

A

Row:

5

Grave:

13

Decoration:

Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart

Comments:

Arthur Lawrence Guertin was born on July 17, 1917, in Trois-Rivières, Mauricie Region, Quebec, Canada. He was the son of Henri Wilfrid Guertin and Alexina Pailleur Guertin.

Arthur entered the military service in Detroit, Michigan. He served in the 535th Bomber Squadron, 381st Bomber Group, Heavy, as a First Lieutenant and Navigator on the B-17G #42-38061 "Georgia Rebel II" during World War II. On April 28, 1944, the crew took off at airfield Station 167 in Ridgewell, England, on a mission to bomb the airfield of Avord in France. At around 12:00 PM, the aircraft was shot down by flak. Three crew members were able to bail out before the explosion in flight, but they were taken as prisoners. The rest were killed in action including 2Lt Guertin. Their airplane crashed at the commune of Baugny - 8 km northeast of Avord.

1Lt Guertin is now buried in the Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial, France.

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