Remembering World War II

Stewart MacDonald Harrington

Name: Stewart MacDonald Harrington Rank: Staff Sergeant Service Number: 11053404 Service: 533rd Bomber Squadron, 381st Bomber Group, USAAF Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart Date of Birth: June 23, 1921 Place of Birth: Stellarton, Pictou Co., Nova Scotia Date of Enlistment: June 12, 1942 Place of Enlistment: Boston, Massachusetts Age at Enlistment: 20 Address at Enlistment: Weston, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts Occupation: Secretary work Marital Status: Single Date of Death: July 14, 1943 Age: 22 Cemetery: Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, England Grave: Plot F, Row 4, Grave 60 Stewart MacDonald Harrington was raised as the son of Raymond Jenkins Harrington (b circa 1901-1970) and Florence (Penketh) Dunbar Harrington (b circa 1902-1997) of Weston, Mass. The family moved from Nova Scotia to the US in 1928. The 1930 census has him living with Raymond and Florence on Alder Street in Waltham, Mass. and his relationship to them is listed as “nephew” (name Stewart McDonald). It reads that his father was born in Canada, his mother in England. Stewart had completed 4 years at Weston High School and had attended Bryant and Stratton commercial school before he enlisted. He enlisted under the name Stewart Macdonald. Stewart was assigned to the 533rd Bombardment Squadron. The 533rd was activated as a B-26 Marauder Medium Bomber Squadron in late 1942; and trained under the Third Air Force in the southeastern part of the United States. Reassigned to European Theater of Operations in June 1943, it was first being assigned to VIII Air Support Command. Stewart was Killed in Action July 14, 1943 when his B-17 bomber #42-3223 "Red Hot Riding Hood" developed engine trouble and exploded over RAF Rattlesden airbase in Suffolk, England. Stewart was the Ball Turret Gunner. Five of the crew were killed, 3 of them survived. The target for the flight was the German airfields at Amiens-Glisy, in France. The other five fatalities from the nine-man crew were: Second Lieutenant William D Burroughs (Co-Pilot) from New York Sergeant Edward J DeCosmo (Left Waist Gunner) from Maryland First Lieutenant Charles E Hedin (Pilot) from New York Staff Sergeant Clifford J Marhefke (Right Waist Gunner) from Wisconsin Staff Sergeant Vivian M Thomas (Top Turret Gunner) from Ohio Of the three survivors, one crew member, Technical Sergeant Richard James Hanna (Service # 19090861) survived the crash completed uninjured. The two others, Second Lieutenant Frank Cappel, Bombardier, and Second Lieutenant Donald Hamm, Navigator, were injured. Staff Sergeant Stewart MacDonald Harrington was interred at the Cambridge American Cemetery in England. The Cambridge American Cemetery sits on a quiet hillside outside the ancient university town of Cambridge. This is the only military cemetery in the UK that commemorates American servicemembers who died in WWII. Graves fan out across the lawn in sweeping curves. The mosaic on the ceiling of the memorial building depicts the flight out ghostly aircraft joined by mourning angels flying into eternity. The Walls of the Missing list over 5000 names. They crossed the ocean to fight for freedom, and sacrificed their lives. Stewart’s grave marker at Cambridge records his name as Stewart MacDonald.

Sources American Battle Monuments Commission - Stewart Mac Donald American Battle Monuments Commission – Cambridge American Cemetery findagrave