George Albert Hamrick, Jr.
1937
Electrical Engineering
Cadet Sergeant, First Lieutenant
Lyman, South Carolina
Army Air Force, Captain
379th Bomb Group, 527th Bomb Squadron
Purple Heart, Air Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and WWII Victory Medal.
Jan 1, 1970
Jun 11, 1943
Killed in Action when the plane he was flying was shot down near Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Elmwood Memorial Cemetery in Columbia, South Carolina
SE
Additional Information
MARC #: 1358; Aircraft Model: B-17F; S/N#: 42-29875 Organization: Location: Kimbolton, England AAF/ AF: 8th A.F. Group: 379th Bomb (H) Squadron: 527th (H) Place of departure: Kimbolton, England Target or Intended Destination: Kimbolton, England Type of Mission: Operational Date: 11 June 1949 Time: 1800 Location of Crash: Wilhelmshaven, Germany Number of Person Aboard Aircraft- Crew: 10 Passengers: 0 Total: 10List of Crew (crew positions, name, rank, status) Cpt. Hamrick, George A. Jr. (Pilot) 2nd Lt. Gossen, Sam (Co-polit) 2nd Lt. Herrick, Hal R. (Navigator) 2nd Lt. Kozel, Walter (Bombardier) S/Sgt Nichols, Luther (T.T) T/Sgt Zapro, Anthony J. (R.O) S/Sgt Mitchell, James A. (R.W) S/Sgt Crain Warren R. (R.W) T/Sgt Flick, William M. (B.T) S.Sgt Gallegos, Jasper (T.C) Kent Porter
for the 379th Bomb Group AssociationAssociation records for Captain George A. Hamrick, Jr. show he was a member of the original group of 379th pilots who left Kearney, Nebraska in April 1943. He and his crew flew their only combat mission, the 379th’s 2nd mission, against the U-boat pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany on June 11, 1943. Six aircraft failed to return from this mission out of 31 dispatched, including Captain Hamrick’s – a/c 42-29875. None of the rest of it is any more helpful, just reiterating that 9 of the crew were KIA, and only the co-pilot survived and was taken prisoner. Kent Porter for the 379th Bomb Group Association Note – Lt. Burrel Newman, Clemson Class of 1939 was also assigned to the 379th Bomber Group and was the pilot of a B -17. He was downed and Killed in Action during the same raid as Captain Hamrick.George Albert Hamrick, Jr. was born on October 6, 1915 in Lyman, South Carolina. (One source states Dekalb, Georgia, but family history refutes this.) No record has been found documenting his life after graduating from Clemson College, or concerning his entry into the military service. He is known to have been one of the original pilots of the 379th Bomb Group which was activated in November 1942. Taking into consideration pilot training and then placement in the unit would lead to assume an entry date of at least early 1942.The unit deployed to England by way of the North Atlantic ferry route, flying its aircraft from Maine to England. The unit was stationed at Kimbolton,England, arriving there in April 1943. Captain Hamrick and his crew were assigned to the 527th Bomb Squadron.Their first combat mission came on June 11, 1943. This was a bombing raid against the submarine pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. At the target, the formation was attacked by enemy fighters, and Captain Hamrick was shot down. The aircraft crashed near Wilhelmshaven, with only one survivor. The crew members were recovered and eventually buried at Ardennes American Cemetery where some still lie. Captain Hamrick’s body was returned to the U.S., allegedly in 1945, and is buried in Elmwood Memorial Cemetery in Columbia, South Carolina. Copied from: https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=158324
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