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Max Lamar ROCKEY
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Source : cmn97
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| NUMBER OF SERVICE | 36417125 | ||||||
| AGE | 20 yo | ||||||
| DATE OF BIRTH | 22 January 1924 Eaton County, MICHIGAN | ||||||
| ENLISTMENT STATE | MICHIGAN | ||||||
| FAMILY |
Parents : Fred Charles & Minnie Gawthrop ROCKEY Siblings : Kenneth ,Ralph ,Herman ,Glen Delbert ,Thelma Inez ,Vida Mae ,Cleo Bernice ,Victor Charles ,Jeanette Virene & Arlen Don | ||||||
| RANK | Staff Sergeant | ||||||
| FONCTION | Gunner | ||||||
| JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT |  | ||||||
| DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 1 january 1943 Kalamazoo MICHIGAN | ||||||
| COMPANY | Company | ||||||
| BATTALION | Battalion | ||||||
| SQUADRON | 534th Bomber Squadron | ||||||
| GROUP | 381st Bomber Group, Heavy | ||||||
| ARMY | 8th US Air Force | ||||||
| DATE OF DEATH | 22 June 1944 |
Source : F Lavernhe
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| STATUS | KIA | ||||||
| PLACE OF DEATH | Epagne-Epagnette - Abbeville | ||||||
| DATA PLAN |
B-17 Fortress - type G-40-BO - s/n 42-97084 GD*H "Spare Charlie"
Macr : 5918 Mission : Tingry (62) - Abbeville Takeoff station 167 Ridgewell, Essex Plane evacuated by MitD only at 7:08 p.m. just before the explosion and the crash - Plane 100% destroyed | ||||||
| CEMETERY TEMPORARY |
CEMTERY TEMPORARY of Mareuil-Caubert | ||||||
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CEMTERY TEMPORARY of St André N°3572 | |||||||
| CEMETERY | NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville | ||||||
| GRAVE |
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| DECORATION |
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| STORY | |||||||
| Son of Fred Rockey and Minnie Gawthrop Rockey, who resided in Springport, Michigan. Max was the ninth of thirteen children. Prior to the war, Max attended Springport High School, where he was a talented athlete. He played basketball, football, and baseball. Max was so gifted at baseball that he auditioned to play as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and received a call back. Max originally attempted to join the Marine Corps but was rejected due to having a flat foot. When he seventeen-years-old, Max joined the Army Air Corps after convincing his mother to sign the consent papers since he was still a minor. Max served as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner in the 534th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bombardment Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. He was a member of the Sam Peak crew and trained with his crew members at Alexandria Air Base (Alex) in Alexandria, Louisiana, prior to going overseas in late March 1944. On 22 June 1944, B-17 #4297084 “Spare Charlie” took off from Ridgewell Air Field, England, on a bombing mission over Abbeville, France. “Spare Charlie” was shot in the #2 and #3 engines right after its bombs were dropped and crashed in Les Marais d’Épagnette (The Marsh of Épagnette). |
Max Rockey (far right) and buddies during training in Long Beach, during training in long beach
Source : cmn97
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| SOURCE INFORMATION | Complete history of the B 17 | Somme-aviation-39-45.fr | |||||
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Crew of B-17 Fortress - type G-40-BO - s/n 42-97084 GD*H"Spare Charlie"
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| 1st Lieutenant | Samuel L "Sam" PEAK | Pilot | Dead - Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer | O-398074 - AM+3/PH - born in 1917 - Fils de Samuel Lee et Elizabeth Ann (Burns) Peak - Leesville, Louisiana | ||||
| 1st Lieutenant | Robert F "Bob" PETROSKI | CoPilot | Dead Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer | O-801198 - AM+1/PH - Wayne, Michigan | ||||
| 2nd Lieutenant | John K LUNDBERG | Navigator | Dead - Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer | O-676081 - AM+1 - Salt Lak City, Utah | ||||
| 2nd Lieutenant | Allen | OSTERBERG | Bomber | Dead | Gardens of Rest, Escabana | O-741356 - 26 yo- born the 25/10/1917 - Escanaba, Michigan - Inhumé USA en 1949 | ||
| S/Sergeant | Murl F SIMMONS | Mechanic/Gunner | Dead - Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer | 32663831 - AM+2/PH - Gouverneur, New York | ||||
| S/Sergeant | Frank A Jr | WELKE | Radio/Gunner | Dead | Greenfield Cem. - Uniondale, New York | 32800468 - 20 yo - Hempstead, New York - Inhumé USA en 1949 | ||
| S/Sergeant | SCHARFF | Gunner | Dead | Woodlawn Cem. - Bronx, New York | 12148493 - 22 yo- Né le 10/12/1921 - Bronx, New York | |||
| S/Sergeant | Richard D | OBERLIN | Gunner | Prisoner - Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow | 35547736 - West Unity, Ohio | |||
| S/Sergeant | Max L ROCKEY | Gunner | Dead - Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer | 36417125 - AM+2/PH - Springport, Michigan | ||||
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Crouching, left to right : Pilot Samuel L Peak 1st Lieutenant, Co pilot Victor R. Romasco 2nd Lieutenant , Navigator Thomas J Tracy 2nd Lieutenant, Bomber Allen Hilding Osterberg 2nd Lieutenant Source : Yann Defacque |
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| SOURCE INFORMATION & SOURCE PHOTO | Americanairmuseum.com - Time To Go Home - Actu.fr - Somme-aviation-39-45.fr - Aad.archives.gov - Abmc.gov - Findagrave.com |
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| PROGRAMMER | Henri, Garrett, Clive, Frédéric & Renaud |