Last Known Activity:
Harry R. Alger was born on August 17, 1911 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania to Morris R. and Laura M. Alger. The US Census 1930 shows the family residing in East Stroudsburg.
Alger enlisted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 15, 1940. His enlistment documents state he had completed 4 years of high school, and was working as a semi-skilled mechanic on motor vehicles.
He was trained as an aerial gunner, and then sent overseas on August 8, 1942. He was assigned to the combat crew led by Lt Maher. On November 28, 1942, the crew participated in a bombing raid on Bizerte, Tunisia.
En route to the target area, the formation was attacked by enemy fighters, and Maher's aircraft was shot down. It crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, killing all aboard. There was never any bodies recovered.
Alger is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing in the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunis, Tunisia. There is also a stone in his memory located in the Prospect Cemetery in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
NOTE: The memory stone gives his rank as TSgt. All other sources state Sgt.
www.findagrave.com
www.ancestry.com
www.abmc.gov
www.301stbg,com/301st_bombardment_group.cfm
www.301stbg.com/mission_Macrs.cfm
US Census 1930
NARA Enlistment Records
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Comments/Citation:
Sgt Harry R. Alger was an assigned waist gunner on B-17F #41-24374, no name, assigned to the 353rd Bomb Squadron.
Missing Air Crew Report 16038 was issued for this loss of crew/aircraft. Mission loading lists state the crew was:
1 Lt Robert E. Maher p
2 Lt Roy C. Tobey c-p
2 Lt Lee H. Adkins nav
2 Lt Fred J. Graf bomb
MSgt Edward C. Shackleton eng/tt gun
TSgt Frank J. Conlon r/o
Sgt Harry R. Alger wg
Sgt Max D. McNeil wg
Sgt Charles R. Goodwin tail gun
Ranks and grades as of mission date.
Shackleton's middle initial is listed in various source documents as "C," "O," and "W."
There is no known photo of this crew.
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