Monuments
B-17 (42-5792) 'The Mugger' Crash Memorial
Lts O'Connor and Peterson Memorial -303rd Bomber Group
Name:
Richard W. Peterson
Rank:
Second Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-671093
Unit:
427th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1943-07-04
State:
Colorado
Cemetery:
Normandy American Cemetery, France
Plot:
J
Row:
14
Grave:
35
Decoration:
Purple Heart
Comments:
2nd Lt Richard W. Peterson, bombardier of the B-17 42-5792 “The Mugger”, took off from station 107 in Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, UK at 0930 on a bombing mission over the Gnome-Rhone-Le Mans factories. The plane was attacked by German fighters and hit by flak. One of those shells killed Peterson long before the crew bailed out or the plane crashed.