Donald Roy Hammerstrom was born on January 15, 1923. He served in the 331st Infantry Regiment, 83rd Infantry Division as a Private and was a passenger on the C47A #42-93038 during World War II. Their aircraft had taken off, along with a second C-47, from its home station of Merryfield, 8 miles SE of Taunton in Somerset, and had flown to Filton on the edge of Bristol where both aircraft took on injured US military service personnel from various units returned from Normandy and accompanying medical staff. In addition a single RAF airman had boarded 42-93038, he was returning home to Ayrshire on leave. Once loading was complete the two aircraft took off from Filton bound for Prestwick.

The injured soldiers were going to be taken back to the US, probably by sea in a convoy leaving from Clyde. At the time the two C-47s arrived at the northern end of the Irish Sea a dense fog hung over the area around the Mull of Galloway which obscured all of the coastal features, including the 200ft high cliffs which 42-93038 flew into above the beach in Cairngarroch Bay to the south of Portpatrick. The second aircraft had also come very close to crashing into the cliffs and landed RAF West Freugh.

PVT Hammestrom is now buried in the Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk