William John Reichle Jr
MilitaryAssigned to 737BS, 454BG, 15AF USAAF. Based at Cerignola, Italy. Aubrey Edwards crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Graz, Austria in B-24 42-52225 'Moo Juice'.
Cradled his dying best friend Francis Zygmunt as 1st aid was beyond saving him. As the intercom was U/S and he had missed the bale out command, was surprised when the the engineer arrived in the nose with a can of ammo, to force open the nose wheel hatch. Baled out of nose wheel bay as fire blocked any other exit. Prisoner of War (POW)
Awards: AM (OLC), POW, EAME, WWII Victory.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 737th Bomb Squadron 454th Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: 15097164 / O-735764
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
Places
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
13 November 1921 | BornCleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio | |
|
Enlisted |
Cleveland, Ohio | 16 June 1942 | EnlistedCleveland, Ohio |
|
Prisoner of war Prisoner of War (POW) |
Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany | 19 March 1944 - 1 May 1945 | Prisoner of War (POW)Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany |
|
Other Discharged |
15 October 1945 | ||
|
Died |
13 August 2017 | ||
|
Buried |
Bay Pines National Cemetery Bay Pines, Florida | 16 August 2017 | InterredBay Pines National CemeteryBay Pines, Florida |
Revisions
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes