Assigned to 8AF USAAF (Remainder of crew joined 334BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF). 

B-17 "Brother Bill" was one of a flight of Flying Fortresses being ferried over the Atlantic to the British Isles. All the way across the planes had battled sleet, ice and fog. The fog was still there hanging thick over the landing field in Scotland. The rest of the flight landed safely on the field, but there was no more room for Brother Bill. The pilot made for another field, but that, it was discovered when Brother Bill was only 100 feet above it, was dotted with long poles to discourage landing by enemy aircraft bent on invasion. The choice left was a forced landing in the sea. As Brother Bill headed out to sea there was a brief discussion in the cabin. Someone was needed in the tail of the ship to give it weight so that it would not dive nose first into the sea. The tail gunner, a mere shrimp 4 feet 11 inches tall, was not enough. Lt. Stroebel, bombardier of "Brother Bill", cut the discussion short and crawled back into the tail of the ship with the little gunner. The pilot nosed "Brother Bill" into a long glide for the water. They were 200 yards off shore when the plane hit the water nose first. The floor of the plane was forced upward and broken by the impact and water rushed into the cabin. The forward section re-surfaced and floating debris popped the tail gunner up but nothing was seen of Lt Stroebel. Killed in Service (KIS)