Charles Vernon Bowles Jr

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-26577.jpeg UPL 26577 Tech Sgt Charles V Bowles Jr

Photo cropped from crew photograph in the possession of the Howard G Mertens Family

Object Number - UPL 26577 - Tech Sgt Charles V Bowles Jr

Charles was the youngest child and only son of Charles V Bowles Sr and Maude "Lovey" (Estes) Bowles. Born in Atlanta, GA, he moved at a young age with his parents first to Highland Park, Michigan, then Chicago, Illinois, where he graduated from Hide Park Career Academy High School in 1940, and before enlistment, to St Louis, Missouri. He never married and produced no known issue.



Charles served as the Radio Operator / 2nd Waist Gunner on the B-17G, #446140 'Miss Lace,' on 30 Nov 1944 when it encountered heavy flak over the target, the Brabag Synthetic Oil Plant just northeast of Zeitz, Germany. After a near explosion of flak, the plane lost its right wing and entered a vertical spiral while ablaze. It was at this point that Charles jumped from the plane to his death, or more probably, was sucked through the fuselage gash caused when the right wing sheared off the plane. He was the sole crew member whose remains were found within the municipality of Belgershain, Germany. The parachute strapped to his body had not been deployed. He wore his dog tags and a high school class ring engraved with his initials, "C V B."



Belgershain citizens buried his remains in their town cemetery, where they remained until the US Army exhumed them during late June of 1945. Identification of his remains was made from his military identification tag, his military dental records, and his class ring. His remains were re-interred in Ardennes American Cemetery, Neuville-en-Condroz, Arrondissement de liege, Liege Belgium, at his father's request.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36624894
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37534103
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19128200
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Nose Gunner / Enlisted
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20640242
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-767319
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Miss Lace
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

29 August 1921

Died

30 November 1944

Buried

German burial in Belgershain town cemetery. Exhumed and reinterred in Plot A Row 42 Grave 32, Ardennes American Cemetery, Liege, Belgium.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.

Date
Contributorlorelei1026
Changes
Sources

Date and place of birth from World War II Draft Registration for Charles Vernon Bowles Jr of St Louis, St Louis City, MO.

Date
Contributorlorelei1026
Changes
Sources

Individual Deceased Personnel File for Charles V Bowles, Jr; Missing Air Crew Report #11126; German "Downed Enemy Aircraft Report, KU 3401;" ancestry.com research of Janine Hunter, Reagan, TN.

Date
Contributorlorelei1026
Changes
Sources

Individual Deceased Personnel File for Charles V Bowles Jr; Missing Aircrew Report #11126; ancestry.com research by Janine Hunter, Reagan, TN.

Date
Contributorlorelei1026
Changes
Sources

Individual Deceased Personnel Record for Charles V Bowles Jr: Missing Aircrew Report # 11126; ancestry.com research of Janine Hunter.

Date
Contributorlorelei1026
Changes
Sources

Independent Deceased Personnel File for Charles V Bowles, Jr; Missing Aircrew Report #11126; ancestry.com research of Janine Hunter.

Date
Contributorlorelei1026
Changes
Sources

Missing Aircrew Report 11126

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Source: MACR 11126 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Brought in information from duplicate record. Source:

See also: https://abmc.gov/node/544159#.WLfoyU1vi00

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11126; 379th Bombardment Group Anthology, pg 326

Charles Vernon Bowles: Gallery (2 items)