Chidester Jack H.

Monuments

B-26 41-35021 'The Sheriff Rapides Parish Louisiana' Memorial

Name:

Jack H. Chidester

Rank:

Staff Sergeant

Serial Number:

39843984

Unit:

451st Bomber Squadron, 322nd Bomber Group, Medium

Date of Death:

0000-00-00

State:

Cemetery:

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Comments:

Jack H. Chidester was the son of Elma H Chidester of San Mateo, California. He served in the 451st Bomber Squadron, 322nd Bomber Group, Medium, as a Staff Sergeant and Mechanic/Gunner on the B-26 Marauder #41-35021 'The Sheriff Rapides Parish Louisiana' during World War II.

On July 19, 1944, two groups of aircraft, a total of 36 twin-engine American bombers of the 32nd Bomb Group, the 451st Bomber Squadron, took off from Station 485 in Andrew Field, England, for a bombing raid on Nantes. At 7:58 PM, 'The Sheriff Rapides Parish Louisiana' was shot down by flak, hitting the left engine and setting the bomb bay on fire. Two crew members were able to bail out, but those who didn't make it were killed in this incident. SSgt Chidester was one of the survivors. He was helped and hidden for three days in a hut by the Cassard family in Basse-Goulaine, where Sgt Chidester landed, then by the Resistance.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net