Jack (John) Ghormley's Father Jesse, a WWI veteran who served as a Private in the 335th Filed Artillery in France, died on 30 July 1936 in Seaford, NY, leaving his widow Irene with five children to raise, Edna, John (Jack), Florence, Henri and Mirian who was only 3 years old.



Enlisting in November 1942, Jack Ghormley was Engineer/Top Turret Gunner in the 448th Bomb Group/714th Bomb Squadron. He had flown over from the US on board B-24 # 41-29230, with the original crew of Pilot Lawrence Edman, Co-Pilot Lawson D. Campbell (made POW after #42-100414 was shot down over France on 5 March 1944), Navigator Joseph C. Chaffin, Bombardier Philip Mufson, Engineer James W. Daley Jr, Waist Gunner John Wallenda, Gunner Harold W. Beaver, Gunner Tony Gemondo and Ball Turret Gunner Harold L. DeLay.



He was on board B-24H #42-52100 'Lady From Bristol', hit by Flak and last seen Southeast of Amiens, France losing altitude and falling behind the formation on the return from a mission to Fürth, Germany on 25 February 1944. The Liberator went down in the North Sea, off the coast near Le Touquet, France. Killed in Action (KIA).



Jack Ghormley's body washed ashore four months after the crash and he is the only one from the crew who has a known grave. All the other men on board are memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing in the cemetery where he rests. Six of them were on his original crew (Pilot Edman, Navigator Chaffin, Bombardier Mufson, Engineer Dailey, Right Waist Gunner Wallenda and Ball Turret Gunner DeLay.)