Hugh Sylvester Eckenrode
Military
This photo is part of an article from "The News-Chronicle," Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, 2 Jul, 1948, p. 4.
Object Number - UPL 67067 - Sgt. Hugh Eckenrode, tail gunner of B-17 'Ye Olde Pub'
About Staff Sergeant Hugh Sylvester ‘Ecky’ Eckenrode:
"Outside, under the stars, Charlie found Sergeant Hugh 'Ecky' Eckenrode pacing back and forth. Ecky was the crew's shortest and quietest gunner, with a face that looked sad even when he was happy. Charlie and the rest of the crew loved Ecky, a simple kid from the hills of central Pennsylvania..." (From "A Higher Call," c. 2012, p. 149, author Adam Makos)
***
“…Sgt. Eckenrode was born at Hockersville, Cumberland county [Pennsylvania], on August 9, 1920. He entered the service August 15, 1942, at new Cumberland. He was assigned to the Army Air Corps, receiving training at St. Petersburg and Ft. Meyers, Florida; Meridan, Mississippi; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; Salt Lake City, Utah, and Delhart, Texas. Sgt. Eckenrode was sent overseas on November 1, 1943, engaging in the European war theatre conflict. It was on one of his missions that he was killed. He was [originally] interred in the United States Military cemetery, Brookfield, England…”
(This excerpt from “The News-Chronicle,” 2 July, 1948, p. 4)
***
527 Bomb Squadron A
379th Bomb Group
8th Air Force mission: VIII Bomber Command 159
Hugh was the tail gunner on a B-17 bomber [‘Ye Olde Pub’, DL #42-3167] that was shot up badly on December 20, 1943. Hugh was the only member of the crew killed.
A book has been written about this incident – “A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II” by Adam Makos and Larry Alexander (Dec 19, 2012, Dutton Caliber/Penguin-Random House LLC).
From his military citation:
“S/Sgt. Hugh Sylvester Eckenrode was awarded posthumously the United States Air Force Silver Star citation with a Purple Heart for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an opposing armed enemy as a B-17 Tail Gunner while attacking a heavily defended target over occupied Germany on December 20, 1943.”
The citation was not awarded until February 4, 2008 due to the mission being classified as "secret" at the time it was carried out.
***
Other Web Profiles for S.Sgt. Hugh ‘Ecky’ Eckenrode:
- Fold3 military service profile: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/86923427/hugh-s-eckenrode
- Find A Grave profile: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113684329/hugh-sylvester-eckenrode
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-802713
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Flight Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: - Ye Olde Pub
- Unit: 527th Bomb Squadron 379th Bomb Group
Missions
- Date: 20 December 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Died Killed In Action On Bombing Mission Over Bremen, Germany. |
20 December 1943 | During their very first bombing mission (VIII Bomber Command 159) from R.A.F. Kimbolton, Kimbolton, England, into Nazi Germany on the 20th December, 1943, 2nd Lt. Charles 'Charlie' L. Brown's crew encountered heavy enemy flak and enemy fighter fire over Bremen, Germany (their primary target for that day). Their B-17, 'Ye Olde Pub,' was so damaged that the pilot could barely keep her flying. Ecky Eckenrode was killed due this heavy enemy fire, his rear tail gunner position completely shattered, and he himself almost completely decapitated. One other crew member was severely wounded, having had his leg almost amputated due to enemy fire, while the rest of the crew suffered less severe injuries. "...Staggering to the rear, his feet like bricks, Blackie assumed Ecky's intercom had been knocked out. Crawling through the narrow tunnel under the rudder, Blackie saw Ecky sitting in his seat, his shoulders hunched over his guns, the painted name 'Ecky' [on his flight jacket] facing the ceiling. He was not moving. Blackie slapped the back of Ecky's jacket, but Ecky did not raise his head. Crawling closer, Blackie saw that the tail gun position had been destroyed; the glass was gone, and the metal walls had been hacked open to the sky. A cold breeze blew from one side to the other. Only direct hits from several cannon shells could have done this. Blackie turned Ecky by a shoulder then reeled back in fright. Ecky's head had been nearly severed and dangled onto his chest. His guns pointed silently earthward..."(From "A Higher Call," author Adam Makos, c. 2012, p. 187, Dutton Caliber/Penguin-Random House LLC) *** |
Revisions
The picture comes from an article in "The News-Chronicle," 2 Jul., 1948, p. 4.
Other Web Profiles for S.Sgt. Hugh ‘Ecky’ Eckenrode:
- Fold3 military service profile: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/86923427/hugh-s-eckenrode
- Find A Grave profile: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113684329/hugh-sylvester-eckenrode
- Adam Makos' web page for "A Higher Call": https://www.adammakos.com/a-higher-call-book.html
Other Web Profiles for S.Sgt. Hugh ‘Ecky’ Eckenrode:
- Fold3 military service profile: https://www.fold3.com/memorial/86923427/hugh-s-eckenrode
- Find A Grave profile: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113684329/hugh-sylvester-eckenrode
-
Author Adam Makos' web page about his book, "A Higher Call": https://www.adammakos.com/a-higher-call-book.html
This book is a HIGHLY recommended read!
