Name:
William H. Garretson
Rank:
Captain
Serial Number:
O-433569
Unit:
599th Bomber Squadron, 397th Bomb Group, Medium
Date of Death:
1944-08-03
State:
Louisiana
Cemetery:
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay Township, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA
Plot:
Section 82
Row:
Grave:
Site 187
Decoration:
Purple Heart
Comments:
William H. Garretson was the husband of Louise I. Garretson. He served in the 599th Bombardment Squadron, 397th Bombardment Group, as a Captain and was the Pilot of the B-26 42-96168 during World War II.
On August 3, 1944, B-26 Marauder 42-96168 took off from station #168 in Rivenhall, Essex, England on a mission Courtalain. The aircraft had a mid-air collision with B-26 42-96169 and crashed in Migeloup, France, killing all the crew members. The crash caused such severe devastation that it was impossible to identify the crew members individually, leading to their burial together in a collective grave in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay Township, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA.
Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com