Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until December 14, 1945.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Joseph served as a Private First Class & Gunner on B-24D #41-23773, 321st Bomber Squadron, 90th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Suffolk County, Massachusetts prior to the war.

B-24D #41-23773 took off from 5-Mile (Ward's Drome) on a search mission for B-17F #41-24458 that did not return from a previous mission. Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker was an observer on that B-17.

B-24D #41-23773 also failed to return and was believed to have disappeared over the Solomon Sea area. The entire crew was declared Missing In Action (MIA).

Joseph was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.

He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Service # 11047465

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-24D #41-23773:

Ball, Norval J ~ Pvt, Gunner, IN
Conway, John D ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Cunningham, James M, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OK
De Haven, Thomas J ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Everett, Edward B ~ Sgt, Engineer, VA
Hakeman, Lloyd N, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, IA
McGrath, Joseph D ~ Pfc, Tail Gunner, MA
Purpura, Charles V ~ Sgt, Gunner, FL
Rose, George M ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, UT
Speith, Harold L, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Nose Gunner, DC

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

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

Joseph was the son of Captain and Mrs John McGrath of East Boston. He enlisted n February 1942. He had 2 brothers in the Air Force John and Ralph McGrath Their father, captain of a fishing schooner for 20 years, gave up his career to enter Defense Work Joseph was born in East Boston 22 years ago and was employed at the General Shipbuilding Corporation - from the Boston Globe list of MIA, May 11th, 1943 Tuesday page 10
Contributor: E. (46782320)

Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until December 14, 1945.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Joseph served as a Private First Class & Gunner on B-24D #41-23773, 321st Bomber Squadron, 90th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.

He resided in Suffolk County, Massachusetts prior to the war.

B-24D #41-23773 took off from 5-Mile (Ward's Drome) on a search mission for B-17F #41-24458 that did not return from a previous mission. Brigadier General Kenneth N. Walker was an observer on that B-17.

B-24D #41-23773 also failed to return and was believed to have disappeared over the Solomon Sea area. The entire crew was declared Missing In Action (MIA).

Joseph was declared "Missing In Action" on this mission during the war.

He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Service # 11047465

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-24D #41-23773:

Ball, Norval J ~ Pvt, Gunner, IN
Conway, John D ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, IL
Cunningham, James M, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OK
De Haven, Thomas J ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, PA
Everett, Edward B ~ Sgt, Engineer, VA
Hakeman, Lloyd N, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, IA
McGrath, Joseph D ~ Pfc, Tail Gunner, MA
Purpura, Charles V ~ Sgt, Gunner, FL
Rose, George M ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, UT
Speith, Harold L, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Nose Gunner, DC

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

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

Joseph was the son of Captain and Mrs John McGrath of East Boston. He enlisted n February 1942. He had 2 brothers in the Air Force John and Ralph McGrath Their father, captain of a fishing schooner for 20 years, gave up his career to enter Defense Work Joseph was born in East Boston 22 years ago and was employed at the General Shipbuilding Corporation - from the Boston Globe list of MIA, May 11th, 1943 Tuesday page 10
Contributor: E. (46782320)