Claude Elmer Whitehead was born on October 20, 1910 in Skagit County, Washington. He was the son of Frank Whitehead and Altha June Fox Whitehead. Whitehead served with the 8th Air Force, 388th Bombardment Group, 560th Bombardment Squadron. On September 16, 1943 he was a flight engineer on B-17G #42-30030, nicknamed 'Old Ironsides'. They took off from Knettishall airfield in England as part of a group of planes on a mission to bomb targets in France. Old Ironsides bombed La Pallice and headed back towards base. They ran low on fuel, however, and ended up ditching in the English Channel. Whitehead and another crewman drowned. The rest were able to make it to shore via rubber raft. SSgt Whitehead is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom. 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