Jack Davis Campbell was born on November 19, 1923, in Los Angeles County, California. He was the son of Brice Macon Campbell Sr. and Emma Mae Williams Campbell. He was married to Peggy Lee Duncan Campbell. He served in the 786th Bomber Squadron, 466th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot of B-24H #42-50336, nicknamed “Pale Ale,” during World War II.

On February 20, 1945, the “Pale Ale” departed RAF Attlebridge on a bombing mission against Nuremberg, Germany. Due to deteriorating weather conditions, the mission was recalled while the formation was over Belgium, and the bombers turned back toward England. During the return flight, “Pale Ale” suffered a catastrophic control failure when its control cables reportedly snapped, causing the aircraft to enter a steep and uncontrollable spin. Realizing that the bomber could not be saved, the pilot ordered the crew to bail out. Most of the crew successfully abandoned the aircraft, but two crewmen remained trapped in the forward section. Although the pilot had an opportunity to escape, he remained aboard and attempted to regain control of the Liberator long enough for the trapped men to get out. His efforts were unsuccessful, and the aircraft, still carrying its bomb load, crashed near Dergneau, Belgium, and exploded on impact. The pilot and the two trapped crewmen were killed, while the crewmen who successfully bailed out survived the crash.

2Lt Campbell survived the crash and returned to duty. Following the war, Campbell returned to Dallas and worked as a civil engineer for the City of Dallas for 33 years. He died on March 24, 2011, and is now buried in the Restland Memorial Park, Dallas, Dallas County, Texas, USA.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, www.fieldsofhonor-database.com, www.restlandfuneralhome.com