Nathan J. W. Padgett was born on October 25, 1919. He served in the 535th Bomber Squadron, 381st Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator on the B-17G #42-38061 "Georgia Rebel II" during World War II. On April 28, 1944, the crew took off at airfield Station 167 in Ridgewell, England, on a mission to bomb the airfield of Avord in France. At around 12:00 PM, the aircraft was shot down by flak. Three crew members (including Sgt Padgett) were able to bail out before the explosion in flight, but they were taken as prisoners. The rest were killed in action. Their airplane crashed at the commune of Baugny - 8 km northeast of Avord. TSgt Padgett was brought to Stalag Luft 4 in Gross-Tychow, Germany.

TSgt Padgett died on April 4, 1981, at the age of 61. He is now buried in the Black Jack Cemetery, Nacogdoches County, Texas, USA.

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