Harold William Dershimer


2nd Lt    0-746994    613th
Oklahoma
1923 - 1944

Bombardier aboard 42-30855 (Ol' Massa)




    

                                                                                Margraten cementery, Netherlands






     Harold was born 1923, in Pennsylvania.
     They later moved to Wheaton illinoise and then to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
     He attendet Central High School.

     He was a very good swimmer in his school team.
     And he was married to Ann A. Dershimer.

     After school he enlisted to the Air Corps.

     In 1944 he arrived in England to join the 401st BG.
     His last mission, May 8, 1944, Target: Berlin, after dropping bombs the plane was hit by flak.
     Just 100 miles before the border of the Netherlands the bottom part of plane blew off.

     He was awarded with an Air Medal and a Purple Heart Medal.

     In 1944, when Harold died on the age of 21 he left behind his family :

         His father, H S Dershimer, age 40
         His mother, Thelma Dershimer, age 38
         His sister, Peggy Morgan, age 27





Mission to Berlin, germany, Crashed near Balkum, Germany






Ol' Massa landing at his base in Deenethorpe, England after a bombing raid on Wilhelmshaven, Germany , Feb 3 1944




     Story told by Edward J. Rice, Left Waist Gunner.

     Our mission proceeded as usual.

     You never can tell what might happen when approaching the enemy coast.
     We are flying up front on this one, little flak as we cross the coast.

                     

     As we got closer to Berlin, the flak was heavier, we are on the bomb run now.

     Bomb bay doors are open, Bombs away !.

     Damn that Flak, won't it ever stop... oh oh.... we got some in the wrong place again, No 4 engine.

     We move out of the flak and start to breathe easier.
     Flying a little low and offside now as we have trouble keeping up.
     This could be bad...

     About 100 miles from Holland it happens, so close to home yet so far.
     A loud , hard, explosion toward the front of our plane.
     The plane was flying level as die, but the whole tail was gone.
     Just a great big hole looking out at the sky.
     The blast blew everything toward the front of the plane, the plane can't fly this way.
     I ran straight out into space thru the open fuselage, the plane was diving straight down.
     It nosed into the ground and exploded, fire and smoke shot skyward.

     What exactly happened to Harold isn't sure, he was found dead and buried at the Achmer
     cemetery.
     He got his final resting place at Margraten cementery, Netherlands.












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