Flight Officer George Henry Pendarvis, Army serial number T-128391, was born at Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana on November 14, 1921. His parents were Sylvester Claudius 'Tat' Pendarvis (23 May 1893 – 19 Nov 1965), who was born at Houston, Texas; and Helen E. (Babington) Pendarvis (17 Oct 1899 – 24 Jul 1931), who was born at New Orleans, Louisiana. By 1917 his father lived at Hammond, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, where he was a farmer and dairyman. His parents married at Hammond, Louisiana on December 22, 1920.

He had a brother, James Babington 'Jimmy' Pendarvis (23 Jun 1923 – 14 May 1942); and a sister, Margaret Mary (Pendarvis) Falconer (1928 – 2015). His mother died at New Orleans, Louisiana on July 24, 1931. By 1935 his father moved the family to Houston, Harris County, Texas.

He completed two years of Catholic seminary training at Assumption College in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but decided not to complete the course. He registered for the draft at Detroit, Michigan on February 16, 1942. At that time he was 5 feet, 10 1/2 inches tall, weighed 155 pounds, and had blue eyes and brown hair. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Houston, Texas on February 17, 1943. His home of record was 1910 Walker Avenue, Houston, Texas. In 1945 his father's address was 615 Center Street, New Iberia, Iberia Parish, Louisiana.

He completed Army Air Forces pilot training at Blackland Army Air Field, Waco, Texas in Class 44-F, and was appointed a Flight Officer in June 1944. He was then assigned as copilot on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Daniel C. Smoke Jr. The Smoke crew completed B-17 operational training at Biloxi, Mississippi, and was sent to Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia, where they were assigned a new B-17 for the deployment to England. There is a photo of the crew that was taken outside the mess hall at Hunter Field. They were assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived in England by February 26, 1945, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. Here is Lt Smoke's crew roster on March 19, 1945:

B-17G 43-38038 – 838th Bomb Squadron

• Smoke Jr, Daniel C – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA

• Pendarvis, George H – F/O – Copilot – KIA

• Olsen, Gunnar K – F/O – Navigator – KIA

• Strong, John H – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA

• White Jr, John – Sgt – Engineer – KIA

• Stone, Harold J – Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA

• Sala, David W – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA

• Koepsell, Elmer E – Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA

• Burres, Richard E – Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA

On March 19, 1945, the 487th Bomb Group dispatched thirty aircraft to bomb a communications center at Zwickau, Germany. Lt Smoke's crew flew B-17G 43-38038 on this mission. Because of poor weather over England, the Group assembled into formation over A-71, an Allied advanced landing ground near Clastres in northeastern France. F/O Pendarvis and his eight crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft collided with Lt John R. Virgin's B-17G 43-37969 'Beverly Jean' during formation assembly. All of Lt Virgin's crew bailed out and survived, but none of Lt Smoke's crew was able to bail out. F/O Pendarvis and his crewmates perished in the subsequent crash of their aircraft near Couvron, France.

The dead were buried initially at the temporary U.S. Military Cemetery Champigneul #1 near Chalons-sur-Marne, France. (Chalons-sur-Marne was renamed Châlons-en-Champagne in 1998.) After the war, F/O Pendarvis' remains were interred at Epinal American Cemetery in France. He is buried in Plot A, Row 40, Grave 3.

Sources:

1. 487th Bomb Group Association

2. 1920 US Census; Louisiana; Tangipahoa Parish; Hammond. Pondarvis, Sylvesta [sic]. 17 Jan 1920 (Sylvester Pendarvis, his father, then single)

3. 1930 US Census; Louisiana; Tangipahoa Parish. Pendarvis, Sylvester. 17 Apr 1930 (his father)

4. 1940 US Census; Texas; Harris County; Houston; Justice Precinct 1. Pendarlis, Silvester C [sic]. 26 Apr 1940 (Sylvester C Pendarvis, his father, in the household of Margaret Pendarvis, his father's older sister)

5. Army Air Forces Collection of Mike Voisin.

     a. The BEE-TEE: Class Book for Army Air Forces Pilot Class 44-E, Waco Army Air Field, Texas. abt Feb 1944 (Basic phase of pilot training)

     b. Take Off: Class Book for Army Air Forces Pilot Class 44-F, Blackland Army Air Field, Waco, Texas. Jun 1944 (Advanced phase of pilot training)

6. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004

7. Enlistment Record of George H. Pendarvis

8. Falconer, Tom. Personal Communication. Feb 2020 (his nephew)

9. Hammond (LA) Vindicator. Obituary of Helen Babington Pendarvis. 31 Jul 1931 (his mother)

10. Hammond (LA) Vindicator. Obituary of James B. 'Jimmy' Pendarvis. 15 and 22 May 1942 (his brother)

11. Hammond (LA) Vindicator. Obituary of George H. Pendarvis. 6 Apr 1945

12. New Orleans, Louisiana, Death Records Index, 1804-1949 (Helen Babington Pendarvis, d 1931)

13. O'Leary, Jack. Thread posted on the facebook page of The Eighth Air Force Historical Society. 9 Sep 2013 (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=617825511602102; confirms location of the crew photo at Hunter Field, Georgia)

14. Social Security Death Index

15. Texas Death Records, 1890-1976 (Sylvester Claudius Pendarvis, his father, b 23 May 1893 at Houston TX, d 19 Nov 1965 at Houston TX)

16. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 15844

17. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946

18. World War II Draft Registration of George H. Pendarvis. 16 Feb 1942 (him)

19. World War I Draft Registration of Sylvester Claudius Pendarvis. 30 May 1917 (his father)

20. World War II Draft Registration of Sylvester Claudius Pendarvis. 27 Apr 1942 (his father)

Research by:

Paul Webber

Find A Grave member ID 47577572

Added bio 24 Feb 2013

Last edited 19 Aug 2024