Paul William Dries married Kathleen Pugh on 15 Jun 1943 at the Derby Register Office at Derby, England.
A daughter Pauline Margaret Dries was born on 1 Jan 1944. Pauline married and had two children. Pauline died in 1989 and was cremated.
Prior to the United State's entry into WWII, thousands of Americans found a way into combat through the Canadian and British Armed Forces.
Paul Dries was one of those Americans. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and after training was assigned to the 97th (Straits Settlement) Squadron. He was based at RAF Bourn in England where he served as a Flight Sergeant. His service number was R/152345.
He was the rear gunner of an Avro Lancaster III, craft number JB218 OF-Y. His aircraft took a hit to the bomb bay which ignited the "cookie" (a large 4000 pound bomb) and several smaller bombs they were carrying while flying over Berlin, Germany during the Battle of Berlin. The only survivor was the pilot, J.A. Penny, who had a pilot's chute attached to his seat that saved his life after the aircraft disintegrated without a trace. Penny was held as a POW until the end of the war when he was released.
The entire crew was:
F/S JA Penny POW
Sgt RT Fathers KIA
Sgt J Graham KIA
Sgt RA Campbell KIA
Sgt JR Cowen KIA
F/S RS Mortham KIA
F/S PW Dries RCAF KIA
Paul William Dries and the rest of the crew were declared missing in action and presumed dead on 23 Nov 1943. Paul's remains were not recovered.
A daughter Pauline Margaret Dries was born on 1 Jan 1944. Pauline married and had two children. Pauline died in 1989 and was cremated.
Prior to the United State's entry into WWII, thousands of Americans found a way into combat through the Canadian and British Armed Forces.
Paul Dries was one of those Americans. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and after training was assigned to the 97th (Straits Settlement) Squadron. He was based at RAF Bourn in England where he served as a Flight Sergeant. His service number was R/152345.
He was the rear gunner of an Avro Lancaster III, craft number JB218 OF-Y. His aircraft took a hit to the bomb bay which ignited the "cookie" (a large 4000 pound bomb) and several smaller bombs they were carrying while flying over Berlin, Germany during the Battle of Berlin. The only survivor was the pilot, J.A. Penny, who had a pilot's chute attached to his seat that saved his life after the aircraft disintegrated without a trace. Penny was held as a POW until the end of the war when he was released.
The entire crew was:
F/S JA Penny POW
Sgt RT Fathers KIA
Sgt J Graham KIA
Sgt RA Campbell KIA
Sgt JR Cowen KIA
F/S RS Mortham KIA
F/S PW Dries RCAF KIA
Paul William Dries and the rest of the crew were declared missing in action and presumed dead on 23 Nov 1943. Paul's remains were not recovered.
Paul William Dries married Kathleen Pugh on 15 Jun 1943 at the Derby Register Office at Derby, England.
A daughter Pauline Margaret Dries was born on 1 Jan 1944. Pauline married and had two children. Pauline died in 1989 and was cremated.
Prior to the United State's entry into WWII, thousands of Americans found a way into combat through the Canadian and British Armed Forces.
Paul Dries was one of those Americans. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and after training was assigned to the 97th (Straits Settlement) Squadron. He was based at RAF Bourn in England where he served as a Flight Sergeant. His service number was R/152345.
He was the rear gunner of an Avro Lancaster III, craft number JB218 OF-Y. His aircraft took a hit to the bomb bay which ignited the "cookie" (a large 4000 pound bomb) and several smaller bombs they were carrying while flying over Berlin, Germany during the Battle of Berlin. The only survivor was the pilot, J.A. Penny, who had a pilot's chute attached to his seat that saved his life after the aircraft disintegrated without a trace. Penny was held as a POW until the end of the war when he was released.
The entire crew was:
F/S JA Penny POW
Sgt RT Fathers KIA
Sgt J Graham KIA
Sgt RA Campbell KIA
Sgt JR Cowen KIA
F/S RS Mortham KIA
F/S PW Dries RCAF KIA
Paul William Dries and the rest of the crew were declared missing in action and presumed dead on 23 Nov 1943. Paul's remains were not recovered.
A daughter Pauline Margaret Dries was born on 1 Jan 1944. Pauline married and had two children. Pauline died in 1989 and was cremated.
Prior to the United State's entry into WWII, thousands of Americans found a way into combat through the Canadian and British Armed Forces.
Paul Dries was one of those Americans. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and after training was assigned to the 97th (Straits Settlement) Squadron. He was based at RAF Bourn in England where he served as a Flight Sergeant. His service number was R/152345.
He was the rear gunner of an Avro Lancaster III, craft number JB218 OF-Y. His aircraft took a hit to the bomb bay which ignited the "cookie" (a large 4000 pound bomb) and several smaller bombs they were carrying while flying over Berlin, Germany during the Battle of Berlin. The only survivor was the pilot, J.A. Penny, who had a pilot's chute attached to his seat that saved his life after the aircraft disintegrated without a trace. Penny was held as a POW until the end of the war when he was released.
The entire crew was:
F/S JA Penny POW
Sgt RT Fathers KIA
Sgt J Graham KIA
Sgt RA Campbell KIA
Sgt JR Cowen KIA
F/S RS Mortham KIA
F/S PW Dries RCAF KIA
Paul William Dries and the rest of the crew were declared missing in action and presumed dead on 23 Nov 1943. Paul's remains were not recovered.
Inscription
Royal Canadian Air Force
Gravesite Details
R/152345
Family Members
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