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Pulver Calvin Charles

Name:
Calvin Charles Pulver
Rank:
Sergeant
Serial Number:
38538654
Unit:
849th Bomber Squadron, 490th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1944-09-01
State:
Louisiana
Cemetery:
Greenwood Cemetery, Jennings, Louisiana
Plot:
Row:
Grave:
Decoration:
Air Medal
Comments:

Calvin Charles Pulver was born on October 29, 1924, in Louisiana. He was the son of Orville Roscoe Pulver and Frances Lillian Church Pulver.

He had attended Jennings schools prior to entering the military. He also had been a carrier boy for The Jeff Davis Parish News, the predecessor to The Jennings Daily News.

He worked in a Houston, Texas shipyard prior to entering the Army Air Corps in June of 1943 and had trained at Fort Sam Houston, Sheppard Field, and at bases in Colorado and California before going overseas May 1, 1944.

Calvin served in the 849th Bomber Squadron, 490th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Tail Gunner on the B-17G #43-37941 "Miss Ana Bortion" during World War II. He was Killed in Action on September 1, 1944, when his airplane collided with B17 #43-38184.

That day, his crew took off from Station 134 in Eye, Suffolk, on a group mission to Gustavburg, Germany. When the target was not visible through the overcast, their mission was aborted, and the group executed a 180-degree turn to return to base. At 11:59 AM near Anthieux-Sur-Calonne, France, while flying through the dense clouds, his plane collided with the alongside #43-38184 after crossing the French coast at 18,000 feet.

Both aircraft suffered catastrophic structural failure and crashed near Cabourg, France. Unfortunately, all members of Miss Ana Bortion's crew were killed.

Sgt Pulver is now buried in the Greenwood Cemetery, Jennings, Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, USA.

Crew members of the B-17G #43-37941 "Miss Ana Bortion":
Maj Francis Hopkins Dresser - Command Pilot
1Lt Charles S Frey - Pilot
2Lt George W Hixson - Co-Pilot
F/O Lowell Shuman - Navigator
2Lt Donald Hoeffler - Bombardier
S/Sgt Thomas H Gossett - Radio Operator/Gunner
S/Sgt Floyd G Hall - Mechanic/Gunner
Sgt Calvin Charles Pulver - Tail Gunner
Sgt Donald L Russell - Waist Gunner
Sgt Edward C Schanhaar - Ball Turret Gunner

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net