Krol Theodore Joseph

Monuments

Freteval Escaped Airmen Camp

B-17 'Man O’War' (42-38033) Memorial

Name:

Theodore Joseph Krol

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-688595

Unit:

612th Bomber Squadron, 401st Bomber Group, Heavy

Date of Death:

1996-05-10

State:

Indiana

Cemetery:

Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia

Plot:

Section 4-FF

Row:

Grave:

Site 3

Decoration:

Air Medal

Comments:

Theodore Joseph Krol, of Hammond, Indiana, was born on September 27, 1918. He was married to Virginia A Krol.

Theodore served in the 612th Bomber Squadron, 401st Bomb Group, as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier on the B-17 #42-38033 'Man O War' during World War II.

On March 20, 1944, the crew took off at Station 128 airfield in Deenethorpe, England, on a bombing mission to Frankfurt, Germany. Shot down by Bf109 fighters, the plane crashed between Courlandon and Breuil, France, killing four crew members. Those who bailed out survived the crash, but four of them were captured by the Germans and taken as prisoners. Only two members, including 2Lt Krol, evaded the capture. 2Lt Krol was one of the 152 allied airmen and soldiers who were helped and hidden in the Freteval Forest camp by the French Resistance to evade German capture.

2Lt Krol died on May 10, 1996, at the age of 77. His body was cremated and interred in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.

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