World War II Honoree

Morris Raffalow

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Bronx, New York

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS AS A PRIVATE ON 27 NOVEMBER 1942 AT NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK. HE WAS SELECTED FOR THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM, AND COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT. HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ASSIGNED TO THE 322ND BOMBARDMENT GROUP (MEDIUM), 449TH BOMB SQUADRON, WHICH WAS ACTIVATED ON 17 JULY 1942 AT MACDILL FIELD, FLORIDA. THE 322ND BOMB GROUP WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE MARTIN TWIN-ENGINE B-26 MARAUDER MEDIUM BOMBER AND MOVED TO THE NEARBY SATELLITE INSTALLATION OF DRANE FIELD, FLORIDA IN LATE SEPTEMBER 1942. HE DEPLOYED WITH THE 449TH BOMB SQUADRON AIRCRAFT TO THE EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS VIA THE SOUTHERN FERRY ROUTE FROM FLORIDA THROUGH TRINIDAD, BRAZIL, DAKAR AND MARRAKECH, WITH THE LAST B-26 AIRCREW ARRIVING IN ROYAL AIR FORCE BURY ST. EDMUNDS (ROYAL AIR FORCE ROUGHAM) IN SUFFOLK, ENGLAND ON THE 29TH OF MAY 1943. ON 12 JUNE 1943, HE MOVED WITH THE UNIT TO ROYAL AIR FORCE ANDREWS FIELD (U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #485) IN ESSEX, ENGLAND. IN AUGUST 1944, THE 322ND BOMB GROUP SUPPORTED THE U.S. THIRD ARMY DURING GENERAL PATTON’S ADVANCE ACROSS FRANCE. ON 12 AUGUST 1944, HE FLEW AS THE BOMBARDIER-NAVIGATOR ABOARD A B-26B BOMBER, NICKNAMED 'WINNIE DEE II' TAIL #41-31741, FUSELAGE CODE: PN-N, ON A MISSION TO BOMBARD ENEMY FORCES AT FLERS, FRANCE. ON THE INBOUND LEG TO THE TARGET AREA, HIS B-26 MARAUDER WAS HIT WITH GERMAN ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY, AND CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF THE VILLAGE OF SAINT PIERRE DU REGARD, APPROXIMATELY 12 KILOMETERS FROM FLERS. ALL 5 AIRCREW MEMBERS WERE DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION.