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Hurdle John Paul

Name:
John Paul Hurdle
Rank:
Technical Sergeant
Serial Number:
14133857
Unit:
562nd Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomb Group
Date of Death:
1944-03-25
State:
Mississippi
Cemetery:
Normandy American Cemetery, France
Plot:
D
Row:
6
Grave:
39
Decoration:
Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart
Comments:

John Paul Hurdle was born on May 23, 1917 in Marshall County, Mississippi and entered the military service there.

The first mention of him in records found indicate he was assigned to Knettishall, England in September, 1943, part of a deployed B-17 crew with the 388th Bomb Group. Because of basic training, flight engineer school, and gunnery school, it is suspected he enlisted in late 1941 or early 1942 to arrive in England with TSgt rank and flight experience.

The crew he was assigned to flew 27 missions, but only received credit for 22 as there were five aborts. There were 2 aborts for engine failure, 1 because the navigator lost consciousness, 1 because the tail assembly iced over and the aircraft could not keep up with the formation, and 1 because the assembly aircraft and the squadron could not be located in cloudy weather.

On May 25, 1944, the crew was alerted for a bombing mission against German war facilities in France. Resistance approaching the target was not heavy, but at the target, flak was intense. The aircraft took direct hits and engines #3 and 4 were both set afire. The aircraft went into a tight spin and exploded before hitting the ground. Evidently the crew managed to bail out as the crash report lists 2 Killed in Action and 8 taken Prisoner of War. Actually, 2 of the crew evaded capture and eventually were returned to Allied hands.

TSgt Hurdle was found dead, and eventually buried in the Normandy American Cemetery at Collesville-sur-Mer, France. He was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, airforce.togetherweserved.com