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TSGT Ronald Charles Pope

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TSGT Ronald Charles Pope

Birth
Gorham, Coos County, New Hampshire, USA
Death
27 May 1944 (aged 22)
Germany
Burial
Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA Add to Map
Plot
SECTION 84 SITE 301
Memorial ID
View Source
Ronald served as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator on B-17 (#42-102613), 508th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomber Group, 8th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Oxford County, Maine prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on September 30, 1942 in Portland, Maine. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Welder and also as Single, without dependents.

Ronald was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was shot down on Mission 133 to Berlin, Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on June 12, 1951.

Service # 11097437

Ronald also has a "Cenotaph" in the Riverside Annex Cemetery, South Paris, Maine.
" Click Here " for that record.

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

Statement from 2nd Lt Mark Medick, Pilot of B-17 (#42-97202) about B-17 (#42-102613):

I was flying as pilot of aircraft #42-97202 which was in No. 3 position of the Lead Element of the High Squadron on a mission to Ludwigshaven, Germany on May 27, 1944. I first saw Lt Howard R. Evans apparently after he had been attacked by enemy fighters because the propeller of his no. 3 engine was feathered. I noticed a white vapor coming from his gas tanks and presumed that they had been hit in this attack in addition to the no. 3 engine. Then I saw him attacked by enemy fighters and a black vapor appeared which indicated an oil leak. After this attack he pulled out of formation and headed toward Switzerland under control. The Alps were plainly visible from where we were. I saw no parachutes nor did I hear anything from Lt Evans on VHF.

The aircraft crashed at Durlach near Karlsruhe.

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

Crew of B-17 (#42-102613):

Duffy, James J., 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, POW
Evans, Howard R., 1st Lt, Pilot, POW
Honsowetz, Jack W., Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, California, KIA
Joiner, Glen E., S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, KIA
Koph, Donald G., S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, Iowa, KIA
Norton, Joseph P., 2nd Lt, Navigator, Illinois, KIA
Kovacs, Stephen, S/Sgt, Turret Gunner, New York, KIA
Peterson, Roger N., 1st Lt, Bombardier, POW
Pope, Ronald C., T/Sgt, Radio-Op, Maine, KIA

(Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett)
Ronald served as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator on B-17 (#42-102613), 508th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomber Group, 8th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Oxford County, Maine prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on September 30, 1942 in Portland, Maine. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Welder and also as Single, without dependents.

Ronald was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was shot down on Mission 133 to Berlin, Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on June 12, 1951.

Service # 11097437

Ronald also has a "Cenotaph" in the Riverside Annex Cemetery, South Paris, Maine.
" Click Here " for that record.

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

Statement from 2nd Lt Mark Medick, Pilot of B-17 (#42-97202) about B-17 (#42-102613):

I was flying as pilot of aircraft #42-97202 which was in No. 3 position of the Lead Element of the High Squadron on a mission to Ludwigshaven, Germany on May 27, 1944. I first saw Lt Howard R. Evans apparently after he had been attacked by enemy fighters because the propeller of his no. 3 engine was feathered. I noticed a white vapor coming from his gas tanks and presumed that they had been hit in this attack in addition to the no. 3 engine. Then I saw him attacked by enemy fighters and a black vapor appeared which indicated an oil leak. After this attack he pulled out of formation and headed toward Switzerland under control. The Alps were plainly visible from where we were. I saw no parachutes nor did I hear anything from Lt Evans on VHF.

The aircraft crashed at Durlach near Karlsruhe.

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

Crew of B-17 (#42-102613):

Duffy, James J., 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, POW
Evans, Howard R., 1st Lt, Pilot, POW
Honsowetz, Jack W., Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, California, KIA
Joiner, Glen E., S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, KIA
Koph, Donald G., S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, Iowa, KIA
Norton, Joseph P., 2nd Lt, Navigator, Illinois, KIA
Kovacs, Stephen, S/Sgt, Turret Gunner, New York, KIA
Peterson, Roger N., 1st Lt, Bombardier, POW
Pope, Ronald C., T/Sgt, Radio-Op, Maine, KIA

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

Inscription

TSGT, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II



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  • Created by: ShaneO
  • Added: Nov 8, 2009
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44102858/ronald_charles-pope: accessed ), memorial page for TSGT Ronald Charles Pope (2 Jul 1921–27 May 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 44102858, citing Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by ShaneO (contributor 47009366).