John E. Colwell

The Man Behind the Name

§ Biography

S/Sgt. John E. Colwell served as left waist gunner aboard B-24J 42-73495 on the 8 April 1944 mission to Brunswick, Germany. He survived the loss of the aircraft over the Island of Schokland and was taken prisoner. German records noted his birthdate as 2 July 1924 and his hometown as Greenfield, Indiana.

Colwell was transferred to Dulag Luft on 12 April 1944. His next of kin was his mother, Mrs. Lillian Colwell, Rural Free Delivery Number One, Greenfield, Indiana. His surname appears as 'Volwell' and 'Colnell' in some documents, but the correct spelling is Colwell.

Service record.

§ As Catalogued

Rank

Sergeant

Position

Waist Gunner

Serial Number

15335447

Hometown

Greenfield, IN

Missions flown.

5 catalogued · 08 Apr 1944 — 25 Feb 1944

The missions below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.

№

Date

Target

Aircraft

Read the records.

1 document

Original documents behind what this page says about this airman — reports, records, and histories the archive holds and is free to reproduce. Check the sources for yourself.

Supports 7 facts