| U.S. Army Officer 72nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group 1st Lt. Donald A. Pahlow O-678318 C-47 Pilot Killed In Action - September 17th 1944 Buried at: Plot B Row 2 Grave 5 Netherlands American Cemetery Margraten, Netherlands |
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| HISTORY OF DONALD A. PAHLOW C-47A-90-DL “Skytrain” C/N 20499 S/N 43-16033 (CU-B) took off from Aldermaston Airfield UK (AF Station 467) on September 17th 1944 with the 72nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group. Her mission was to Paradrop 16 members of the 1st Bn, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division into Drop Zone A Veghel, Operation Market Garden, Holland. Crew of C-47A 43-16033: 1st Lt. Donald A. Pahlow (Pilot) O-678318 Air Corps Milwaukee Wisconsin (KIA) 2nd Lt. William F. Baker (Co-Pilot) O-2059885 Air Corps Florence (Lauderdale) Alabama S/Sgt Christopher S. Domitrovich (Engineer) 36054843 Air Corps Granite City (Madison) Illinois S/Sgt Rollin D. Ellis (Radio Operator) 16088020 Air Corps Benton Harbor, Michigan. Captain William F. Wade (Intelligence Officer) O-902714 Air Corps Fayetteville (Onondaga) New York (KIA) Corporal Thomas A. Hoge (War Correspondent) Corporal Air Corps Bayville (Nassau) New York C-47A 43-16033 sustained a direct hit at approximately 14:10 near Boxtel and was set ablaze, but completed the paradrop mission. After unloading all 16 paratroopers successfully over DZ-A, the C-47 crashed in flames about 6 miles south of the DZ exploding on impact. 1st Lt Donald A. Pahlow and Captain William F. Wade were killed on impact. 2nd Lt William F. Baker, S/Sgt Christopher S. Domitrovich, S/Sgt Rollin D. Ellis and Corporal Thomas A. Hoge survived the crash by bailing out of the aircraft prior to impact. Corporal Hoge was later taken as a Prisoner of War. Later in the War, S/Sgt Domitrovich was killed as his aircraft crashed into the Empire State Building in New York City in 1945. Donald A. Pahlow was first interred near the crash site in the RC Churchyard, Oostelbeers Netherlands September 17th 1944. He was later reburied in Grave OO-11-272 in the U.S. Cemetery Margraten Netherlands March 1946. His final resting place is B-2-5 Margraten Netherlands in 1949. He rests there to this day. William F. Wade was also buried in the Churchyard in Oostelbeers. He was later reburied in Grave OO-11-274 in the U.S. Cemetery Margraten Netherlands March 1946. His final resting place is P-9-17 Margraten Netherlands in 1949. He rests there to this day. |
| U.S. Army Footlocker, above photo. This footlocker bears the stencil "EFFECTS OF DONALD A PAHLOW". Lt Pahlow's personal effects were sent home in this footlocker to his Next of Kin, Natalie J. Pahlow after his death on September 17th 1944. |
| Lid of U.S. Army Footlocker, left photo. Manufacturer's nomenclature plate, right photo. This plate is constructed from brass and is marked: AMERICAN HARDWARE COMPANY, INC. CONTRACT W199-Q.M.17690 SEPTEMBER 27, 1939 SPEC. NO. 2379-6 SPEC. NO. 26-L-29 CHICAGO Q.M. DEPOT |
| Rear of U.S. Army Footlocker with shipping label, left photo. Close-up of shipping label, right photo. This label is marked: WAR DEPARTMENT ARMY EFFECTS BUREAU KANSAS CITY QUARTERMASTER DEPOT 601 HARDESTY AVENUE KANSAS CITY 1, MISSOURI NAME 1st Lt. Donald A. Pahlow ASN O-678318 CASE NO. 566079 M TO: Mrs. Natalie J. Pahlow 2954 North 54th Street Milwaukee 10, Wisconsin |
