Rowland John Albert

Monuments

B-17 ‘The Passionate Witch’ & ‘Kickapoo Joy Juice’ Plaque

Name:

John Albert Rowland

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-747677

Unit:

728th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy

Date of Death:

1944-03-28

State:

Montana

Cemetery:

Bynum Cemetery, Bynum, Teton County, Montana

Plot:

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Comments:

John Albert Rowland was born on June 22, 1916, in Bynum, Teton County, Montana. He was the son of Homer O Rowland and Della J Rowland.

John served in the 728th Bomber Squadron, 452nd Bomb Group, as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier on the B-17 #42-32082 'The Passionate Witch II' during World War II.

On March 28, 1944, his crew took off from Sation 142 airfield in Deopham Free, England, on a mission to bomb the Chateaudun airfield in France. At 14:08H, their plane was shot down by flak, taking a direct hit in the #4 tank, which ignited a huge fire. Their airplane exploded in flight and crashed 2 km south of Chateaudun airfield. The plane was totally destroyed in a ground collision with an Avro Lancaster. Six crew members (including 2Lt Rowland) were Killed in Action. The others were able to bail out of the plane before it exploded but were taken as prisoners except for SSgt McLaughlin, who died in a hospital the next day.

2Lt Rowland is now buried in the Bynum Cemetery, Bynum, Teton County, Montana, USA.

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