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T/Sgt John W Belcher Birth 10/15/1916 - DOW 04/11/1944
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S/Sgt John Belcher was born in Ironton OHIO on oct 15, 1916. John lived at Ironton with his parents. His father was Harlan Belcher (°Sep 16,1884 +Febr 1970) and his mother Mattie Roden Belcher. He graduated from Ironton High School in class 1936. John was working at the Henrite Products Corporation in Ironton OH prior before entering at the Army service. John was an active member of the Central Christian Church, having served as president and treasurer of his Sunday school Class.
John enlisted in the Army at Huntington West Virginia on 02/11/1942.
He was assigned to the Airforce and was trained for Radio operator on a Bomber Crew. He was assigned to the Widness Crew and they flew the B-24H "Our Baby" overseas arriving on 14 February, 1944.
On 04/04/1944 he was a replacement on the Thieme crew as Radio operator and right waist gunner on that fatal mission #40. After release of the bombs the B-24 was attacked by enemy fighters and hit by Flak near the target Bucharest. John was severly wounded and unconscious while the plane was on fire. His new mate James O'Neal has helping him to attach the)
chute and to bail out. They falled on the other side of the Danube near the town of Ruse Bulgaria. Unfortunately he was very wounded at his head and stomach and he was carried to the civilian hospital at Ruse Bulgaria. 7 Days later on the 11th April, 1944 at 08:PM he died of his wounds and was buried on a civil cemetery at Ruse Bulgaria on the April 13th, 1944. On April 22, 1944 Johns' father, Harlan Belcher received the dreaded MIA telegram not knowing if he was alive or not.
On April 26th, 1946 John was reburied at the American Cemetery of Slatina at Sofia, Bulgaria at 09:AM on Plot A, Row 5, grave 55 with a wooden cross on the top of the grave.
Later his remains were moved to the American Cemetery at Nettuno east of Anzio in Italy and reburied on the Nov 11th, 1946 at 04:30PM )
on Plot 2X, Row 89, grave 6967.
T/Sgt John Belcher was repatriated on demand of next of kin to the)
USA and on August 19th,1948 left the railstation at 11:15AM of Columbus, OH and arrived in Ironton, OH railstation at 03:17PM.
On 08/20/1948 John was buried with full Military honors on the Woodland Cemetery Ironton. John Belcher was survived by his father, two brothers and two sisters
Stanley (°Okt 4,1906 + May 1969),Thomas (+July 1995), Frances (°May 8,1914 +Jan 1970) and Mary (° April 1, 1920 +April 27, 1997.
T/Sgt John Belcher was awarded recieved posthumous with the Airmedal "For meritorius achievement in areal flight while participating in sustained operational activitis against the enemy from 22 February 1944 to 2 March 1944." See here the document for this Award.
At Ironton, OH home of the first Memorial Day parade, his name is on the Memorial Wall along the Ohio river for all the casualties of War .
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T/Sgt John Belcher's grave, MACR pages and articles on The Ironton Tribune 18&19 Aug 1948.
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Special thanks to Sally Jones and her mother for the photos of John Belcher.
Any information on the story and pictures of this man are welcome.
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