Name:
James W. Malone
Rank:
Staff Sergeant
Serial Number:
38387567
Unit:
547th Bomber Squadron, 384th Bomber Group
Date of Death:
1944-04-13
State:
Alabama
Cemetery:
Netherlands American Ceremony
Plot:
H
Row:
3
Grave:
11
Decoration:
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Comments:
A native of Alabama, James Woodie Malone was born on January 1, 1922. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces at Shreveport, Louisiana, on January 29, 1943. He was serving as the tail gunner on board the B-17F "Flying Fortress" 42-97274 when it encountered enemy flak while returning from a mission over Schweinfurt, Germany. The plane exploded in mid-air and subsequently crashed near Fouleng, Belgium. Malone and the rest of the crew typically flew in a B-17F names "Royal Flush" but were assigned a different plane so that the "Royal Flush" could undergo repairs.