Thomas H Sears (1924 - 1945)

Born 16 Jun 1924 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, United States

Died 23 Mar 1945 at age 20 in Ardennes, Champagne-Ardenne, France

Problems/Questions Profile manager: L. Ray Sears [send private message]

Biography

Thomas H "Tommy" Sears was born on 16 Jun 1924 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, USA as the third child of Charles Henry Sears and Vivian Lucille Fosdick. He had three siblings, namely: John Henry, James Donald, and Robert. He died on 23 Mar 1945 in Ardennes, Hainaut, Belgium.

Thomas H "Tommy" Sears was known by the title of 1st Lieut.

Thomas H "Tommy" Sears and Gladys Ivy Peace had one daughter Diana

Sources

• 1930 United States Federal Census about Thomas H Sears Name: Thomas H Sears Gender: Male Birth Year: abt 1925 Birthplace: Ohio Race: White Home in 1930: Central, St Louis, Missouri Map of Home: View Map Marital Status: Single Relation to Head of House: Son Father's Name: Charles H Sears Father's Birthplace: Massachusetts Mother's Name: Vivian F Sears Mother's Birthplace: Michigan Household Members: Name Age Charles H Sears 34 Vivian F Sears 29 John Henry Sears 9 James Donald Sears 7 Thomas H Sears 5 Robert Sears 2 [2 7/12] Birth: Jun. 16, 1924 Cincinnati Hamilton County Ohio, USA Death: Mar. 23, 1945 Munster Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

First Lieutenant Thomas H. Sears O-824923 Entered Service February 27, 1943 at St. Louis, Missouri 700th Bomber Squadron (B-24 Liberator) Tibenham, Norfolk, England 445th Bomber Group, Heavy U.S. Army Air Forces Plane: Consolidated B-24(H) Liberator Serial Number: 42-51223 Purple Heart / Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters Killed In Action Lieutenant Sears was the son of Charles H. and Vivian Fosdick Sears. He had 3 brothers; John, James and Robert. He was a 1942 Graduate Webster Groves High School, Webster Groves, St. Louis County, Missouri. He enrolled in Perdue University in 1942, but dropped out and joined the Army Air Corps In February 1943. After Basic and Pilot Training in the United States, he was shipped to England. He was assigned to the 700th Bomber Squadron, as a B-24 Liberator pilot at the RAF base at Tibenham, Norfolk, England. He was on his 30th bombing mission over Germany to bomb the rail yards at Munster, Germany when his B-24 heavy bomber was struck by anti aircraft fire at approx. 26,000 feet, just after dropping the bomb load. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in the field of a farm owned by Walter Konerding. Sometime later the Germans brought Russian POWs to the crash site and removed the remains of Lt. Sears to the "Honour Cemetery" at the site of an old WWI German Hospital in Munster. In 1946, the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps Graves Registration Unit removed Lt. Sears' remains to, and buried him with full Military Honors at the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial. Of the 10 man crew aboard the flight, Only three survived, spending the remaining 3 months of the War in Europe as Prisoners of War. While stationed in England, Lt. Sears fathered a child, Diana, born to Gladys Ivy Ivy Peace. Diana was born April 11, 1945, 3 weeks after her father was killed. In 2008, after exhibiting 99.9% DNA proof that Lt. Sears was her father, she was granted full American Citizenship. Lt. Thomas H. Sears may be gone, but he is not forgotten.