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Cowles Maynard L.

Name:
Maynard L. Cowles
Rank:
First Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-695305
Unit:
378th Fighter Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group
Date of Death:
1945-03-03
State:
Michigan
Cemetery:
Lorraine American Cemetery, France
Plot:
A
Row:
18
Grave:
51
Decoration:
Air Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters
Comments:

Maynard L. Cowles was born on January 14, 1922 in Michigan. He was the son of Austin Elisha Cowles and Clara A. Cowles. He served in the 378th Fighter Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group as a First Lieutenant during World War II.

On March 3, 1945, weather cleared over Irlich, Germany, permitting another go at a bridge. The 378th and 379th flew four missions against the span and scored a few hits, damaging the approaches. The 378th, led by Lt. William Stewart, found a hole in the clouds and broke the tracks at one end of the bridge in two places, also destroying a locomotive on the same line. Sadly, the mission also cost the squadron Lt. Maynard Cowles. According to Lt. Edward Eshbaugh, Cowles' flight leader, "While flying northwest along the Rhine River, we got intense heavy and light flak. My wingman and I broke left of our Blue Flight Leader. Blue Two [Lt. Cowles] broke to the right also trying to evade flak. I turned back to the right to see them but the flak was still heavy so I turned left again. I looked back over my shoulder and saw a big cloud of black smoke coming up from the ground. This was just north of Nord Ingelheim, about 6 miles west of Bingen, Germany. Lieutenant Cowles was not seen after this."

1Lt. Cowles was shot down and killed by flak. He is now buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery, Saint-Avold, France.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, Thunderbolts Triumphant, The 362nd Fighter Group vs Germany's Wehrmacht