Technical Sergeant Charles Bayes Peacock, born 22 May 1914, was the son of Stanley G and Marie (Bayes) Peacock of Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey. Morristown is 18 mi WNW of Newark.

In the 1920 census 5-year-old Charles is living with his parents and sisters Vera 13, and Joan 11, on Columbia Road in Morris Township. His father is a chauffeur for a private family.

In the 1930 census 15-year-old Charles is living with his parents and sisters Vera 23 and Joan 21, at 92 Weston Ave., in Morristown. His father is still a chauffeur. His sisters are typists.

In the 1935 Morristown city directory Charles is living with his parents at 37 Maple Avenue.

In the 1940 census 25-year-old Charles is living with his parents at 37 Maple Ave., in Morristown. His father is still a chauffeur. Charles is a hotel clerk.

On his Oct 1940 draft registration 26-year-old Charles is living at 37 Maple Ave., in Morristown. He is employed at the Hotel Revere.

Charles enlisted 22 Jun 1942 at Newark. He’d had four years of high school and was single without dependents. His civil occupation was listed under hotel and restaurant managers. He was 5’8” tall and weighed 151 lbs. After training he was assigned to the 335th Bomb Squadron of the 95th Bomb Group.

The 335th BS flew B-17s out of RAF Horham 93 mi NE of London.

Charles was a gunner and radioman on B-17 42-30271 “Bomb Boogie” piloted by Lt Glen Ransom.

On 6 Sep 1943 the mission was to bomb Stuttgart.

The NARA WWII casualty listings by state and county for New Jersey show Peacock, Charles B, T-Sgt from Morris County as killed in action. Charles went missing when his plane was shot down on a mission to bomb Stuttgart on 6 Sep 1943 and he was officially declared dead on February 11, 1944.

American Air Museum in Britain says he evaded capture but died of hunger and exposure in the Pyrenees Mountain at the end of October 1943 (downed airman had to make their way over the Pyrenees Mountains into Spain and get to the British Consulate to be able to get back to England). His remains were never recovered. MACR 545.

From Find a Grave: Aided by the French underground Charles evaded with five others from the crew. They all crossed the treacherous Pyrenees on foot in the bitter cold winter of 1943 in three different groups organized by the Bourgogne line (French underground). Sgt Vincent Cox, Tail Gunner, travelled with Peacock.

After arriving in Andorra later in the day on Oct 29, within an hour’s walk from safety in Soldeu, Peacock collapsed. Sgt Cox stayed behind with him when the others in the group continued to town. At daybreak on Oct 30, they continued walking towards town. Charles soon lost consciousness and Cox was unable to revive him, so he left Peacock to look for help. Cox found two guides on the trail whom he told where Charles was. Neither Charles Peacock nor the two guides were heard of again.

A cenotaph in memory of Charles was added to his parent’s headstone at Hilltop Cemetery, Mendham, Morris County, NJ.

Source: Brian Kueker, Facebook contributor for American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC).

Find A Grave Memorial

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

SBTSProject/New Jersey/ Morris County

Flying Fortress B-17F 42-30271 'Bomb Boogie' 335th BS, 95th BG, 8AF USAAF.

Charles B Peacock