Melvin W Rector
Military
Radio Operator
96th BG
Object Number - UPL 21957 - TSGT Melvin W. Rector Radio Operator 96th BG
Eight combat missions: 3 April 1945 Kiel--heavy accurate flak, 4 holes on wings; 4 April 1945 Kiel--light flak, bombed dock area; 5 April 1945 Nurnberg--climbed through clouds to 28000; 9 April 1945 Munich/Reim. One food mission. No fighter attacks, but lots of flak and some flak damage. No combat injuries.
AM/ WW II VM/ American Service Medal/ EAME/ GC
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Station 138
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Johnstown, NY 12095, USA | 26 January 1922 | |
|
Enlisted |
Utica, NY, USA | 16 September 1943 | |
|
Died |
R.A.F. Uxbridge, Uxbridge, Greater London UB10 0RX, UK | 6 May 2016 | Mr Rector passed away on his first trip to England since 1945. He was visiting the Battle of Britain Bunker at RAF Uxbridge at the time of his passing. Contrary to the erroneous press reports at the time of his passing, he was not part of the crew of the Memphis Belle. |
| Johnstown, NY 12095, USA |
Revisions
Melvin Rector died on 6th May 2016 shortly after arriving on a trip to the UK for the first time since 1945. Immediately after landing at Heathrow he travelled to the Battle of Britain Bunker at RAF Uxbridge, now a museum on the role of 11(F) Group of the RAF during the battle in 1940. Sadly at the end of his tour of the Bunker & Museum he suffered a heart attack and could not be resuscitated. He was cremated at Ruislip Cemetery on 18th May 2016 in a service attended by members of the British and US Military services.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self; Snetterton Falcons, pg 246
