Frank Augustine Rothwell
S/Sgt 12073240 612th
New York
1915 - 1944
Left Waist Gunner aboard 42-37833 (Omar The Dentmaker)
Normandy cemetery, France
Plot : B , Row : 9 , Grave : 31.
Frank was born in 1915, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In Aug 29, 1942 he enlisted to the air corps.
After final training in Oct 1943 he arrived in England to join the 401st BG
His last mission, March 26, target: Watten , France.
They were hit by flak over Pas de Calais and exploded.
He was awarded with an Air Medal and a Purple Heart Medal
In 1944, when Frank died on the age of 28 he left behind his family :
His father, Joseph P Rothwell, age 55
His mother, Marie S Rothwell, age 55
His brother, Joseph P Rothwell, age 28
His brother, Alfred J Rothwell, age 26
His brother, John P Rothwell, age 24
His sister, Virginia Rothwell, age 21
His brother, Paul Rothwell, age 20
His sister, Marian Rothwell, age 17
His brother, Lawence Rothwell, age 17
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Mission to Watten, France, operation " Crossbow " (Nazi rocket sites), just before bomb run, plane was hit by flak.
Chrashed near Bouquemaison, France.
It was on Sunday morning, March 26, 1944, the crew was called to an early briefing.
Back: Unknown-William Carter-FRANK ROTHWELL-Donald Roberts-Ivan Lee-Irving Lieberman
Front row: Michael Walsh - Robert Kaercher - William Rumsey - James Haffner
The target was Pas de Calais, france and the V-1 installlations from which the Germans launched their
rocket attacks on Britain.
It was considered a mild run as serious opposition was seldom encountered recently.
The crew crossed the channel and headed towards the Initial Point.
No fighters were in sight, and no flak had been seen.
It was just as the crew were starting on the bomb run that it happened.
A shell exploded suddenly inside the plane behind the pilot.
A single burst of flak had hit them squarly.
The plane immediately went out of control and according to eyewitnesses from other planes, the plane
flew upside down and backwards through the formation.
The plane began to disintregate, wings, engines, etc, breaking off.
Two crew members bailed out just before the plane exploded.
A French men, J. Yaequemelle, found the bodies of the eight men, no chutes were open.
Frank obviously died before coming to earth.
He was requisitioned to take a wagon and two horses and to take the dead soldiers to the cemetery of
their village, Bouquemaison, Somme, Picardie, France
Frank and his mates were buried side by side in their uniforms.
On June 10, 1945 the bodies of the eight airmen were exhumed by American forces to be buried in
a military cemetry.
Frank was buried in the Normandy Cemetery.
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