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On the night of June 5, 1944 while Hq Co 1st Bn of the 505th Prcht Inf was loading for the jump into Normandy a hand grenade exploded.  4 soldiers were killed, 14 wounded and one Air Corps soldier was wounded. 

The Pilot for that plane was Weston Harper who was the wingman for Major Matson on the right side and was in the lead serial, Chalk #2.

Was lucky enough to speak with Mr. Harper September 30, 2008.  He said that he was standing in the doorway behind the cockpit when the explosion occurred.  He was knocked down and when he got up he saw his radio man down on the ground, wounded by shrapnel.
 

Below is a listing of the 18 Hq Co 1st Bn soldiers involved in the explosion. 

Here is a link to the
Medical Reports for the soldiers wounded/killed that night as well.
 

82nd Abn Div 505th Prcht Inf Spanhoe Airfield Incident Jume 5, 1944

Division

Regiment

Neptune Co

Name

ASN

Neptune Grade

After Action

Status Date

Location Killed

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Damianov, George

33025675

Staff Sergeant

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Bowman, Ernest A.

13067220

Corporal

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Elliott, Dale E.

15098928

Corporal

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Vaught, Kenneth A.

18020793

Corporal

DOI

6/5/1944

Killed by exploding grenade in airplane on the ground at Spanhoe

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Dockery, Ward

14069731

Private First Class

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Hardwick, Lee A.

37379540

Private First Class

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Leakey, Robert L.

39177388

Private First Class

DOI

6/5/1944

Killed by exploding grenade in airplane on the ground at Spanhoe

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Waldron, Claude F.

14076690

Private First Class

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Davidson, Lloyd E.

14080933

Private

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

DeGangi, Adolph J.

11090708

Private

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Green, Colon B.

34088595

Private

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Hampton, Enoch M., Jr.

14018847

Private

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Marchisella, Joseph

39294398

Private

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Meelberg, Eddie O.

37092097

Private

DOI

6/5/1944

Killed by exploding grenade in airplane on the ground at Spanhoe

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Ott, Herbert F.

13124647

Private

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Perritto, Forrest E.

20433483

Private

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Smith, Roy

34148001

Private

LWA

6/5/1944

 

82nd Abn Div

505th Prcht Inf

Hq Co 1st Bn

Vah, Pete

15092020

Private

DOI

6/5/1944

Killed by exploding grenade in airplane on the ground at Spanhoe

 

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