Jerome Levy

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-20797.jpeg UPL 20797 John H. Hansen Crew
493rd BG - 862nd BS
Shot Down 29 June 1944

Standing Left to Right: Jerome Levy (N), Sidney Benson (CP), John Hansen (P), Malcolm Stich (B), Vernon Polzin (FE)

Kneeling Left to Right: Cyrus Aidala (BTG), John Sanders (WG), Walter Boykowski (TTG), Jose Ramos (R/O), Sylvanus Haskell (NTG)

Crew Roster on final mission:

John H. Hansen - P
Sidney A. Benson- CP
Jerome Levy - N
Malcolm Stich - B
Vernon J. Polzin - FE
Billy Gamillion R/O
Cyrus Aidala - BTG
John E. Sanders - WG
Sylvanus Haskel - NTG
Walter Boykowski - TG

Chris Brassfield

Object Number - UPL 20797 - John H. Hansen Crew 493rd BG - 862nd BS Shot Down 29 June 1944 Standing Left to Right: Jerome Levy (N), Sidney Benson (CP), John Hansen (P),...

Assigned to 862BS, 493BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) in B-24 42-94812 'Little Warrior' 29-Jun-44; flak hit caused conflagration, flames from cockpit to rear of bomb bay. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 6721

SECOND LIEUTENANT JEROME LEVY was born in 1920 in New York to Simon and Sarah Levy. The family moved to New Jersey sometime before 1924, when younger brother Sydney Levy was born. Simon Levy was a carpenter who developed a building and construction business, the S. Levy Company, first out of the family home and later at 320 Market Street in Camden NJ. In 1930 the family lived at 1248 Magnolia Avenue in Camden NJ. One family nearby at 1234 Magnolia were the Auslanders. Their son Leonard Auslander was about the same age as Jerome Levy. They both would not come back from the war in Europe.

Jerome Levy graduated from Camden High School, and attended engineering school at Penn State University, and worked in his father's construction business before enlisting in the Army in December, 1942. Qualifying for duty in the Army Air Force, he was trained as a navigator, and was reported in the Camden Courier-Post to be at the San Marcos TX navigation school, in the October 1, 1943 edition.

Jerome Levy was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in December of 1943 after completing the course at San Marcos and the following April went overseas as a member of the 862nd Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomber Group, Heavy. He was stationed at Station 152, Debach, Suffolk County, England.

The 493rd was the last Bomber Group deployed to England. The first mission was flown on D-Day, June 6, 1944 to Lisieux, France. The 493rd Bomber Group was equipped with B-24H Liberator heavy bombers. One of the B-24s was the LITTLE WARRIOR, serial number 42-94812. Built by Ford, this aircraft was brought to the United Kingdom by the 850th Bomber Squadron, 490th Bomb Group, before being transferred to the 493rd Bomb Group and renamed LITTLE WARRIOR.

On the 17th mission, an attack on the aero engine plant at Fallersleben, Germany, on Thursday, June 29th, 1944, Jerome Levy was aboard LITTLE WARRIOR. The Missing Air Crew Report (MACR 6721) reads as follows:

"Aircraft No. 812 flying in the Number 3 position in A group received a direct Flak hit near No. 3 Engine at 0939 hours in the target area just after bombs away. it was enveloped in flames from the nose to the rear of the bomb bays. It fell out of formation and disintegrated at about 10, 000 feet."

Eight of the crew were found dead on the ground by German authorities that morning, a ninth body was found later. The co-pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Sidney A. Benson of Marblehead MA was captured. Lt. Benson was murdered by being beaten to death by German Air Raid Wardens shortly after he surrendered that morning. He died late that night after having been thrown first into a garage across from the hospital then into the TB ward. It was only in his last few minutes of life that he received any type of medical care. His killers were later located, tried, and imprisoned. The tenth crew member's body was discovered in a field, badly burned on July 11, 1944, and buried with the rest of the crew of LITTLE WARRIOR.

Jerome Levy had written his last letter home the day before. Lieutenant Levy was 24 years old when he gave his life for America. He was survived by his parents, and brother Sidney, who was also serving in the Army Air Force. His death was reported in the September 14, 1944 edition of the Camden Courier-Post.



Awards: AM, PH.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 493rd Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 493rd Bomb Group 862nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32707915
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 493rd Bomb Group 862nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11082314 / O-818558
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 493rd Bomb Group 862nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13171280
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 493rd Bomb Group 862nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38424702
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 493rd Bomb Group 862nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-693976
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

The B-24H Liberator, 42-94812, named, Little Warrior, in the 493rd Bomb Group in flight with its engines aflame. A veteran has handwritten on the reverse: 'To Roger Freeman, from a friend, Clifford Stocking. I took the picture 493rd BG, 862nd Sqd.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: - Little warrior
  • Unit: 490th Bomb Group 493rd Bomb Group 850th Bomb Squadron 861st Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

New York, USA 31 March 1921 Son of Simon and Sarah Levy.

Died

Steiniger Berg, 63628 Bad Soden-Salmünster, Germany 29 June 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) in B-24 42-94812 'Little Warrior' 29-Jun-44; flak hit caused conflagration, flames from cockpit to rear of bomb bay. KIA MACR 6721

Buried

Fallersleben, Germany 30 June 1944 Interred Fallersleben forrest cemetery, Germany

Buried

Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial Ardennes American Cemetery Neupre, Belgium Plot A Row 21 Grave 17
Camden, NJ, USA 1234 Magnolia Avenue

Based

Debach 29 June 1944 Assigned to 862BS, 493BG, 8AF USAAF.

Enlisted

Other

Training

San Marcos, TX Navigators training school San Marcos, TX

Other

Commissioned

Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant.

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 6721
Connected w/other crew members

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Helton s Hellcats, A Pictorial History of the 493rd BG, pub 1998, ABMC MACR 6721, http://493bgdebach.co.uk/roster_list.php

Jerome Levy: Gallery (1 items)