Manlove, Beverly Jean, born 25-07-1922, in Amsterdam, Bates County, Missouri, United States. the youngest son of Charles Heroll Manlove and Verna Belle Putnam. The family moved from Missouri to Pawnee County, Kansas about 1925, where Beverly grew up on a farm near Garfield. Beverly had two sisters and two brothers, Charles Francis Manlove (1915–1992), Ethel Minnie Manlove Gregory (1917–2009),
Wade Velton Manlove (1920–2000)
and Sarah Katherine Manlove Carlson (1927–1996).
After graduating from high school in 1940, Beverly worked in Larned as a filling station attendant until he enlisted in the Army at Fort Riley, Kansas on 31-08-1942. When he enlisted, he was 5 ft. 8 in. tall and weighed 136 lbs. Beverly was assigned to Company I, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment under command of First Lieutenant Thomas Meehan
and was promoted to Sergeant in 1944. On 06-06-1944 Lieutenant Meehan (age 22) near Carquebut, Departement de la Manche, Basse-Normandie, France, happened the same as Beverly Manlove when Meehan’s C-47 Skytrain plane was hit by German Anti-Aircraft fire and crashed and all men on board died.
The training that begins at Camp Toccoa
is the first step that will eliminate those who will not resist the hardness of the parachuting school. These days and nights are punctuated between daily races (including the famous climb to Mount Currahee),
walks, intense sports sessions, the path of the fighter, theoretical and practical courses on the profession of infantryman, weapons handling, shooting, etc. will lead men to exhaustion and beyond their limits; but they will come out as true soldiers of elite troops.
Early December is the transfer to Fort Benning for parachute jump training. The program consists of four one week phases. The first week is reserved for physical preparation (week which for the 506th will prove unsuitable because the regiment comes with an exceptional preparation and fitness).The second week is reserved for learning about folding, simulation of jumping from platforms (model planes, 10m tour, etc.) to learn how to fall.
The third week is the one of jumps from the famous frying pans, 80m high towers that perfectly transcribe the conditions of jumps.Then comes the last week of the C-47 jumps, five jumps that will be crowned with the “wings” award, the paratrooper certificate. Beverly will pass all of these steps successfully and leave on Boxing Day on a 10-day leave. Returning in mid january 1943, the regiment trained in urban fighting techniques.
In April, it is the start towards Camp Mackall where training takes an intensive turn, the jumps take place with equipment and weapons followed by three days in simulation of enemy territories. On June 10, the regiment was attached to the 101st Airborne Division .In early July, the 506th took part in large maneuvers in three states (Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana), where the fighting exercises followed the jumps.
The regiment then moved to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, until its departure day for Camp Shanks a few kilometers from New York to prepare for a departure for the old continent. On September 3, Beverly and the regiment boarded the SS Samaria from where they landed on September 15 in Liverpool.
Trains will take the men south of Hungerford in Witlshire and will then be assigned to their various quarters.For Beverly and the third battalion it will be Ramsbury.A rigorous training regime will begin in the camps and surroundings of the English countryside, complete with jumps and forced steps. Beverly becomes Sergeant during this period.
At the end of march 1944, the units participated in Exercise Beaver and at the end of April in Exercise Tiger.On May 11 it is Exercise Eagle, where only the 101st Division participates and which will take place in conditions almost identical to those that the men will have the opportunity to experience on D-Day. they will embark in C-C47 with a flight time identical to what they will live over the sea and then towards the Drop Zones on the continent, and this will be the opportunity to work with the 9th Troop Carrier Command.
At the end of May, Beverly is preparing her package, the order has arrived to board the airfields. This famous day, so long awaited since its arrival in the Airborne troops is approaching ; all these training since 1942, all these efforts to finally experience what it has come to be. Beverly arrived at the Exeter aerodrome in Devon where the 96th TCS of 440th TCG was parked.
Beverly is moving into the camps prepared for the troops. On June 3, paratroopers were notified of the departure date, but the bad weather pushed it back 24 hours. D-Day is set for Tuesday, June 6. It was 11:48 this Monday, June 5, when the C-47 42-100733 belonging to the 440th TCG and piloted by 2nd Lieutenant William H. Zeuner
took off and joined the formation for setting up before heading to Normandy and Drop Zone “D”Located near Angoville-au-Plain, the drop time is scheduled for 0143.The C-47 is in position 24 in serial 16. Beverly is in position 3 in her stick.
Death and burial ground of Manlove, Beverly Jean.

The mission of the third battalion is to seize two bridges at the mouth of the moat and establish a bridgehead. The flight over the English Channel was uneventful; the convoy arrived on the mainland from the east and was confronted with a cloud bank, and then tried to keep its course the formation was shot by the flak, the plane is certainly hit, it crosses the entire peninsula of the cotentin, passing the DZ and ending up above the sea. The jumpmaster of the stick seeing this went to the cockpit to make another pass on the Drop Zone.The aircraft was hit again, returning to the coast.
Four paratroopers will succeed in jumping from the plane, the plane is hit on the right side, the latter has difficulty to keep its balance.
The C-47 crashed at sea off Pointe du Hoc .Two of the paratroopers who jumped will end up with the rangers who will attack Pointe du Hoc on the morning of June 6, they will climb and fight alongside this unit. In the weeks that follow, some bodies will be taken back by sea, Beverly will remain missing.
Sergeant. Manlove’s body was not recovered, and a memorial stone in his honor was placed in the cemetery at Garfield, Kansas, near his home.
Killed from the crash were:2nd Lt. William H. Zeuner, Pilot2nd Lt. Harry N Lumsden, Jr, Co-Pilot Staf Sgt. Albert T Margotto, Crew Chief Cpl. William F Bellinghausen, Radio Operator Paratroopers (an incomplete list):Pvt. Keith K Bryan PFC Harry L Burg, Jr Pvt. George V Fernandez Pvt. Edwin Finder Pvt. Jesse M Hawkins PFC Bryant L Hinson SSgt. James H Japhet Pvt. George J Karalunas Pvt. Robert C Kinzy Sgt. Beverly J Manlove Pvt. Roy Mezo PFC Alvin D Poynter PFC Christopher C Smith Sergeant. Victor A Turkovich PFC Newton P Weathersby 2nd Lt. Floyd R. Johnston (survived) Pvt. Raymond L. Crouch (survived)
He died 26-12-2006 (age 83) Richmond, Richmond City, Virginia and Pvt. Leonard S. Goodgal (survived).

Leave a Reply