Henry Leonard Bargfrede


S/Sgt    37228695    614th
Missouri
1921 - 1943

Right Waist Gunner onboard 42-31098 (Penny's Thunderhead)


     

                                                                                 Margraten cemetery, Netherlands
                                                                                 Plot : B , Row : 4 , Grave : 16



      Henry was born Oct 26, 1921, Lafayette, Missouri.
      After 2 years of Highschool, On October 3, 1942, he enlisted to the aircorps.
      In 1943 he arrived in England to join the 401st BG and he flew 3 missions
      The last mission on 11 December 1943, Target: Emden, the plane was hit by flak and Henry and 7 more
      crew members had to bail out over Holland
      Unfortunately he fell in the water and did not reached the shore...
      He was awarded with a Purple Heart Medal

     In 1943, when Henry died on the age of 21 he left behind his family :

         His father, Henry F Bargfrede, age 55
         His mother, Mary Bargfrede, age 51
         His sister, Larane Marie Bargfrede, age 17
         His sister, Ruth Ellen Bargfrede, age 14
         His brother, Edward Bargfrede, age 11

                            In Lafayette there is a veterans memorial, with his name on it :



      


Individual casualty questionaire

Told by 2nd Lt. John Barret , Navigator.

- Did they bailed out ? : Yes.

- Where ? : Northern Holland

- Last contact just prior to loss of plane ? : None

- Where were they last seen ? : All bailing out.

- Any explanations of their fate ? :

      When I went out I saw land below and also five chutes open, which I assume to be , Shaw - Cope
      Masterman -Nielsen - Bargfrede, because I know Carlson an Robinson went out 5 minutes later
      ( Carlson told me later ).
      I delayed my jump from around 20.000 Ft to around 1000 Ft.
      I landed in water a couple hundred yards from mainland ( Holland ).
      I fell that those men who opened chutes at altitude drifted out to sea and drowned.
      Carlson and Robinson went out later over water and Carlson fortunately was rescued by Germans.
      I believe Robinson also drowned.

- Total number of missions of above crew members ? : 3.

- Date and destinations if possible ? : Nov 26,   1943 Bremen
                                                                     Dec 1,     1943 Solingen
                                                                     Dec 11,   1943 Emden






Captain Kaufman's first crew.

Back Row: L-R Capt. Kaufman , Lt. F. B. Robinson , Lt. R. C. Fitzgerald , Lt. J. A. Barrett
Front Row: Sgt. F. R. Cope , Sgt. H. A. Shaw , Sgt. D. H. Carlson , Sgt. T. R. Nielson , Sgt. HENRY LEONARD BARGFREDE , Sgt.E. W. Masterman

Photo Courtesy of Rick Kaufman.



Joplin Globe, Sunday, January 9, 1944.





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