PFC Francis Lee David (WWII)


Remembering PFC Francis Lee David (Mannington/Fairmont)

November 11, 1922 - November 1, 1945

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PFC Francis Lee David (Service Number 15338315) was born in Mannington, WV, on November 11, 1922, the son of David and Ethel (Spencer) David.

Their family lived on Maple Avenue in Fairmont (1930-1950 Censuses). Modi, who immigrated from Mt. Lebanon, Syria in 1904 (Naturalization Paperwork), had many jobs in the food and entertainment industries. In addition to other ventures, he served as a pool hall operator in Mannington (1920 Census), a merchant for a retail confectionary (1930 and 1950 Censuses), and the manager for a beer parlor (1940 census).

Francis attended school through 6th grade before dropping out, and by 1940 (age 17) was working as a street laborer for the National Youth Administration. He would have attended Fairmont Senior High School with his siblings if he had continued his education.

Francis registered for the draft on June 30, 1942, at age 19. At the time, he was residing with his parents at 139 Maple Avenue in Fairmont and working for Royal Crown in Fairmont. Francis was 5'11" and 142 lbs with brown eyes, brown hair, and "sallow" skin (Draft Card). 

Military Service

He was promoted to Private, First Class (PFC) in October 1944 at Warton Air Force Base in Lancashire, England, where he was stationed. At the time of his death, PFC David was a member of the USAAF's 896th Engineer Squadron of the 478th Air Service Group, where he served as a mechanic for a Flying Fortress.

On November 1, 1945, Francis was traveling on board a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (42-93041) to England to wed his fiancé. Unfortunately, there were poor weather conditions, and the plane crashed into the side of a mountain in Germany before the passengers could reach their destination. Of the four crew members and 26 passengers on board, there were only four survivors, four seriously injured passengers.

Legacy and Survivors:

PFC Francis Lee David is honored at the  West Virginia Veterans Memorial in Charleston, WV. Initially laid to rest at the St. Avold Military Cemetery in France, Francis, previously unknown within the passenger manifest, was identified by his fingerprints on March 27, 1946. He reached his final resting place at the Historic Woodlawn Cemetery (Fairmont, WV) in October of 1948, just a short walk from his family's home.

He was survived by his parents, Modi (1891-1976) and Ethel (1903-1968), and three siblings- Juliette (David) Joseph, Edward Modi David, and Dorothy (David) Cioe/Joe. Tec4 Edward David served in the Army during WWII and is buried at the West Virginia National Cemetery. Dorothy (David) Cioe/Joe's brother-in-law, Domenick "Gooch" Joe, also died during WWII.

Sources and More Information:

Newspaper Articles:
  • "Francis Lee David." The Fairmont Times. 20 November 1945. Accessed with help from the West Virginia and Regional History Center at WVU. (Source of this photo)
  • "Pfc. David Killed On Way to Wed." The Fairmont Times. 28 November 1945. Accessed with help from the West Virginia and Regional History Center at WVU.

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