Jefferson Davis Dickson Jr. was killed on July 14, 1943. Dickson was with eight other crew members in a B-17 plane. The crew consisted of 1st Lieutenant Edward Purdy who was the pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Carroll Harris who was the co-pilot, 1st Lieutenant Charles Lichtenberger who was the navigator, and 1st Lieutenant Edward Jones who was the bombardier. The gunners on the plane included Sergeant Charles Sprague who was the radio operator, Sergeant Richard Marquardt who was the top turret gunner, Sergeant John Smith who was the ball turret funner, Sergeant Lawrence Templeton who was the tail gunner, Sergeant Francis Santangello who was the right waist gunner, and Sergeant Joseph Cornwall who was the left waist gunner. Captain Jefferson D. Dickson’s role in the flight was to be the photographer. This crew was known as "Salty's Naturals."
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The crew were killed in Evreux, France. Dickson and his crew were killed at St. Germain-Les-Angles in a raid on Villacoublay Le Bourget. When the plane crashed, there was only one survivor who was Sergeant Joseph Cornwall, the left waist gunner. After the death of his entire crew, he was stationed in March Field, California. Sergeant Cornwall also informed Dickson’s wife, Louise Dickson, about her husband's death. She then sent a letter to Captain Phillip J. Wolf, Chief of the Burial Records Division, and requested information on where her husband and his crewmates were buried. Dickson and his crew were originally buried in a civilian graveyard near Evreux, France called the Souvenir Cemetery. |
The entire crew that passed away was buried at this cemetery in Row 7, Graves 208-215. On a burial report, it says that it is impossible to tell which of the deceased is in each grave. When Dickson was found, he was found at a very advanced state of decomposition. His physical characteristics when he was found was that he was 6 feet tall, 200 pounds, brown hair, and his eye color is unknown. For his clothing, he was found with an oxygen mask, a flying brown leather jacket, a wool shirt, and green coveralls. He was only found with one fur-lined flying boot. Other items included a parachute harness, remnants of a flying suit, and a Mae West jacket. Due to his body being in such an advanced stage of decomposition, fingerprints were not able to be taken. The only parts of his body that were found were his legs, feet, and forearms. When his remains were being transported, the burial box was broken, and his remains were mixed with mud and water. |
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All the bodies buried at the Souvenir Cemetery in Evreux, France were transported to the American Cemetery at St. Andre-de-l’Eure on May 14, 1945. Jefferson Davis Dickson Jr. now rests at Plot A, Row 1, Grave 41 at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. He received the Purple Heart for his service. |