Shot down 11 December 1943 in B-17 #423488. Killed in Action (KIA).



Staff Sergeant Husband's B-17 was shot down over the Dutch province of Groningen during its return from a bombing run on the industry and U-Boat harbour installations of Emden in Northern Germany on December 11, 1943.



Extensive research on the mission has been compiled by Mr. Alexander Tuinhout of Leeuwarden, the Netherlands who has authored 'A Story of B-17 #42-3488 and its Crew'.



The fortress had been damaged by heavy flak above the target area, and was straggling behind the formation when attacked by four German fighters. Wounded tailgunner Joseph La Via tried to free Sergeant Husband from the damaged ball turret but it was torn from the Fortress before the plane crashed.



Husband's body was found still inside the ball turret some distance from the crash site in Sneek, Holland. It was Sergeant Husband's first mission. Eight of the 10 member crew were able to bail out, but several at such a low elevation as to be injured upon hitting the ground.



Several crew members were hidden from the Nazis by the Dutch people at great risk, but the men were eventually caught and imprisoned in the German prison camp made famous in the movie, 'The Great Escape'.