World War II Honoree

Lawrence O'Neill Weakley

Hometown

St. Joseph, Missouri

Honored By

A Grateful American

AMERICAN CITIZEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN, HELD THE RANK OF WARRANT OFFICER CLASS I AND SERVED AS A PILOT IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE. EARNED HIS PILOT'S FLYING BADGE AT NO. 8 SERVICE FLYING TRAINING SCHOOL, MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK ON MAY 16, 1941. KILLED IN ACTION AT THE AGE OF 25 WHILE ATTACHED TO NO. 51 SQUADRON, ROYAL AIR FORCE (BOMBER COMMAND) WHEN HIS ENGLISH ELECTRIC CO. HANDLEY PAGE HALIFAX MK. II (DT721) WAS ATTACKED BY A GERMAN NIGHT FIGHTER AND CRASHED ON THE GROUNDS OF THE HUIZE PADUA MENTAL HOSPITAL NEAR BOEKEL, NORTH BRABANT, THE NETHERLANDS DURING A BOMBING RAID TO DUSSELDORF, GERMANY ON JANUARY 27, 1943. BURIED AT GROESBEEK CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY, GROESBEEK, GELDERLAND, THE NETHERLANDS.