Name:
Edward F. Connolly
Rank:
Second Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-733280
Unit:
526th Bomber Squadron, 379th Bomb Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1943-09-16
State:
Iowa
Cemetery:
Brittany American Cemetery, St. James, France
Plot:
A
Row:
18
Grave:
5
Decoration:
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
Comments:
2nd Lt Edward F. Connolly, bombardier of the B-17 42-29901, took off from station 117 Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, UK on a bombing mission over Nantes’ bridges and airfields. The B17 was hit by an aerial bomb dropped by an FW190-A6 of 10/JG-2, flown by Fw. Alfred Geisthardt. It seems likely that this hit the foreward fuselage as none of the crew in this section survived, whilst most of the rear fuselage crew managed to get out before the aircraft crashed near Grand-Fougery. The attack took place at 7000m at 15.48, as recorded by the Fw190 gun camera. Connolly perished in the crash.