Adolph served as a Staff Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F #42-31396, 353rd Bomber Squadron, 301st Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Hudson County, New Jersey prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 1, 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Machinist and also as Single, without dependents.

He was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant on June 1, 1943.

Adolph was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17 #42-29918 near Agrambela, Greece during the war.

B-17 #42-29918 and B-17 #42-3251, which were part of the 97th Bomber Group and which had left base earlier, had both lost their formation. With ice forming on their wings they decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircraft made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st formation.

The other B-17 #42-3251 collided into B-17 #42-30357 which caused them to also crash.
( see below )

All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.

Adolph was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on March 15, 1949.

Service # 12162479

The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-31396:

Bauman, Adolph G ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NJ
Bowns, Loren C ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MI
Brundage, Donald E ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, NY
Dean, Reed W ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, FL
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Glenn, Charles R ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, MO
Helsabeck, Hilary F ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NC
Mills, Homer C ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, TX
Phillips, Ward V, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, AL

~~~~~~~~~~

For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-29918 see:

Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC

~~~~~~~~~~

For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-3251 see:

Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA

~~~~~~~~~~

For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-30357 see:

Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA

( Bio & Crew Reports by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )

Special thanks to ShaneO for submitting this record for bio updates!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adolph served as a Staff Sergeant and Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F #42-31396, 353rd Bomber Squadron, 301st Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Hudson County, New Jersey prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 1, 1942 in Newark, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Machinist and also as Single, without dependents.

He was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant on June 1, 1943.

Adolph was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17 #42-29918 near Agrambela, Greece during the war.

B-17 #42-29918 and B-17 #42-3251, which were part of the 97th Bomber Group and which had left base earlier, had both lost their formation. With ice forming on their wings they decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircraft made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st formation.

The other B-17 #42-3251 collided into B-17 #42-30357 which caused them to also crash.
( see below )

All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.

Adolph was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on March 15, 1949.

Service # 12162479

The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-31396:

Bauman, Adolph G ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, NJ
Bowns, Loren C ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MI
Brundage, Donald E ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, NY
Dean, Reed W ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, FL
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Glenn, Charles R ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, MO
Helsabeck, Hilary F ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NC
Mills, Homer C ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, TX
Phillips, Ward V, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, AL

~~~~~~~~~~

For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-29918 see:

Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC

~~~~~~~~~~

For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-3251 see:

Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA

~~~~~~~~~~

For airmen who perished on
B-17F #42-30357 see:

Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA

( Bio & Crew Reports by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )

Special thanks to ShaneO for submitting this record for bio updates!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~