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Hart Fred W.

Name:
Fred W. Hart
Rank:
Staff Sergeant
Serial Number:
32437482
Unit:
373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1943-11-27
State:
New York
Cemetery:
National Memorial Cem. of the Pacific, Hawaii
Plot:
Q
Row:
Grave:
221
Decoration:
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Comments:

Fred W. Hart was born on June 17, 1921 in New York. He resided in Kings County, New York prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army on August 25, 1942 at Fort Jay, Governor's Island, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in Packing, filling, labeling, marking, and bottling and also as Married. Fred served as a Staff Sergeant and Radio Operator on B-24J "Maxwell House II" #43-73245, 373rd Bomber Squadron, 308th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

B-24J #43-73245 took off on November 27, 1943 from Pandaveswar Airfield, India on a bombing mission over Insein, Myanmar (Burma). They were attacked by Japanese fighter planes which damaged their engines and the B-24 crashed approximately 150 miles northwest of Rangoon, Myanmar (Burma). At least eight parachutes were seen during bailout.

Those who were able to bail out included 2nd Lt Butterfield, Sgt Cook, S/Sgt Hart, Sgt McClung, 1st Lt Meredith, 2nd Lt Rich, 2nd Lt Stephens, and S/Sgt Temples. Before reaching the ground, five of the crew were reportedly either shot while parachuting down or killed once they hit the ground. They included Sgt Cook, S/Sgt Hart, 1st Lt Meredith, 2nd Lt Stephens, and S/Sgt Temples. Fred was "Killed In Action" while parachuting out the his B-24 during the war. He is now buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA.

Ssgt Hart was one of over 2000 Americans who lost their lives defending China from their Japanese invaders from 1941-1945. He is commemorated on the The Monument to the Aviation Martyrs in the War of Resistance Against Japan in Nanjing, China.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com