Charles Neil "Pappy" Holcomb was born on December 19, 1918, in Ilion, Herkimer County, New York. He was the son of Anna B. Mead. He served in the 429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, as a Captain and Pilot of P-38 Lightning #43-28446 during World War II.

On August 25, 1944, the aircraft was shot down while conducting a bombing and strafing mission over the Laon-Chambry airfield in France’s Aisne department. It had departed from airfield A-11 in Saint-Lambert, Normandy, with the pilot serving as a section leader. Around 14:00, during the mission, Holcomb engaged in aerial combat and is believed to have shot down one or two Messerschmitt Bf 109s before his aircraft was hit. The plane went down at a site known as “Lieu-dit Au-dessus de Cadot – Cavée Maupin” in the commune of Mouy, approximately 9 kilometers southwest of Clermont in the Oise department. Wreckage from the crash was later recovered.

Cpt Holcomb was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Mohawk Cemetery, Mohawk, Herkimer County, New York, USA.

Source of information: http://francecrashes39-45.net/