Harold Holton White was born in Nashville, Tennessee, the son of Cyrus Dillon White and Ruth M. Dickinson. He was married to Alma Bolton.
Killed February 22, 1944, when the B-17, the “Paper Dolly,” he was aboard sustained damage from enemy aircraft and crashed four miles northwest of Boesingfeld, Germany. Primary target had been the Focke-Wulf plant at Oschersleben. Bombs were not dropped due to inclement weather. Lieutenant White was the bombardier. He is buried at the American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.
Submitted by George W. Mankel Jr.
Crew members of Aircraft B-17G with serial number 42-37746
Pilot, 1st Lt Frank R. Kolts
Co-Pilot, 1st Lt Ehud Merkel
Navigator, 1st Lt Charles R. Alexander
Bombardier, 1st Lt Harold H. White
Engineer, T/Sgt Matthew S. Kryjak
Assistant Engineer, S/Sgt Abraham S. Homar
Radio Operator, T/Sgt John P. Guros
Assistant Radio Operator, S/Sgt Omer E. Shaper
Gunner, S/Sgt John V. Hill
Gunner, S/Sgt Roy F. Grandquist
The Knoxville News-Sentinel, 8 March 1944
First Lt. Harold White, husband of Mrs. Alma White, Woodburn Drive, and son of Dr. and Mrs. C.D. White, of 1820 West Clinch Avenue, has been lost in action in an air raid over Europe, according to a War Department message. He recently won his promotion to first lieutenant and had been awarded a medal and two Oak Leaf Clusters for meritorious air service. The action in which he was lost occurred Feb. . He was a flight bombardier in the Eighth Air Force. Lt. White graduated at Knoxville High School and attended U-T for two years. He volunteered for service and left Knoxville last October. He trained and obtained his wings at a camp in Texas. His father, Dr. White, said today that the Fortress on which he was a flight bombardier had been christened the “Paper Dolly.” The crew, he said, had painted paper dolls and pasted them on the plane, naming each doll for a wife or sweetheart.
- Rank: Lieutenant
- Date of birth: 13 October 1919
- Date of death: 22 February 1944
- County: Knox
- Hometown: Knoxville
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 323rd Bomber Squadron, 91st Bomber Group, Heavy
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart, Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, World War II Victory Medal
- Burial/Memorial Location: Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands
- Location In Memorial: Pillar VIII, Top Panel
- Sponsored by: George W. Mankel, Jr.
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