John Harold Rosema
MilitaryThis photo is private property.
John H Rosema served as a tail gunner with the 550th Bomb Squadron of the 385th Bomb Group. On 13 April 1944, he was flying in B-17 #42-38196 when it was shot down. The pilot, Don Jorgensen, managed to land it in Switzerland and the crew were interned.
In 2014, Rosema was posthumously awarded the Prisoner of War medal for his time imprisoned at the Wauwilermoos camp.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 385th Bomb Group 550th Bomb Squadron
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Other
- Known as: Straflager Wauwilermoos
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Spring Lake, MI 49456, USA | 10 May 1923 | |
Enlisted |
Kalamazoo, MI, USA | 3 November 1942 | |
Other Interned (INT) |
Wauwilermoos, Switzerland | 13 April 1944 | |
Died |
East Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan, USA | 15 February 1979 | (aged 55) |
Ottawa County, MI, USA | |||
Buried |
Grand Haven, Ottawa County, Michigan, USA | Lake Forest Cemetery |
Revisions
Added a "-" to the A/C tail # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Updated the middle name and Added Died and Buried events per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 215776688.
SOURCE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215776688/john-harold-rosema
Added tribute paid to her grandfather by Charlene Rosema Stewart - with her permission.
Correspondence with John H Rosema's granddaughter, Charlene Rosema Stewart.
NARA enlistment record: https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=all&tf…
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3772 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database