Leigh Slates Jr

Military
media-21489.jpeg UPL 21489 Lt. Leigh Slates, Jr.
Killed In Action 24 April 1945

Uploaded

Object Number - UPL 21489 - Lt. Leigh Slates, Jr. Killed In Action 24 April 1945

1st Lieutenant Leigh Slates was born December 24, 1919. His next of kin were his wife, Glennadine Slates, and his parents, Leigh and Almira Slates. He was from Palmyra, Missouri.



On April 24, 1945, he was the Pilot of “Yo Yo Champ,” B-26 tail #42-95987 of the 17th Bomb Group (M), 34th Bomb Squadron (M), when it went down over Oberroth, Germany.

He is buried in the US Military Cemetery at St. Avold, France.

Connections

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Units served with

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Twelfth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

Lieutenant AJ Wood of the 344th Bomb Group in the cockpit of his B-26 Marauder (serial number 42-95987) nicknamed "Yo-Yo Champ". Image by Jack K Havener, 344th Bomb Group.. Associated caption: '"Yo-Yo Champ"- AJ Wood. Yo-yos always come back and pilot Wood was short, chubby and red headed so "Chicken Little" was appropriate. Sept 1944.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Nicknames: Yo-Yo Champ
  • Unit: 344th Bomb Group 34th Bomb Squadron 496th Bomb Squadron 17th Bomb Group

Missions

  • Date: 15 January 1945

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Palmyra, MO 63461, USA 24 December 1919 1st Lieutenant Leigh Slates was born December 24, 1919. His next of kin were his wife, Glennadine Slates, and his parents, Leigh and Almira Slates. He was from Palmyra, Missouri.

Enlisted

St. Louis, MO, USA 15 January 1942 At Jefferson Barracks

Died

Oberroth, Germany 24 April 1945 On April 24, 1945, he was the Pilot of “Yo Yo Champ,” B-26 tail #42-95987 of the 17th Bomb Group (M), 34th Bomb Squadron (M), when it went down over Oberroth, Germany.

Buried

He is buried in the US Military Cemetery at St. Avold, France. Plot E Row 45 Grave 24

Revisions

Date
ContributorSuperman
Changes
Sources

He was with the 17th BG, not the 19th as in the typo.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

A couple of the sources available online are:
ABMC record: https://www.abmc.gov/node/538071#.VyCUHk32aM8
Findagrave record: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=slates&GSfn=leigh…;

Date
ContributorBubby
Changes
Sources

I am a relative of 1st LT Leigh Slates, Jr. His youngest brother is my Grandfather. Many of the corrections I have made are from facts shared with me by his parents and other members of his family, as well as my own personal research.

Date
Changes
Sources

IDPF and/or crash report researched by Bill Beigel. IDPF donated to American Air Museum by Bill Beigel. For more information about this flyer, you may contact http://ww2research.com.

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