Albert Schlegel was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1919. Lacking the two college certificates required by the US Army Air Corp, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), flight training was in Ontario, Canada, final service training taking place in England at an RAF Operational training Unit (OTU) on Hurricanes. By the time of his transfer to the US Army Air Force in January 1943 he had logged 249.3 flying hours and was a Flight Sgt. Upon transfer he gained the rank of Flight Officer. He was stationed at Debden and flew Spitfires until they were replaced by P-47 Thunderbolts in March 1943. He was assigned to the 335th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group and was promoted to First Lieutenant.

His first victory occurred on 2 October 1943, an Me-109. In March 1944 the group switched to P-51 Mustangs and Schlegel became a Flight Leader. His activities picked up, and he began to have victories to the extent that he became an "Ace" on 22 April 1944, and two days later he added two more 109s and shared a third.

Now a Captain, he went on leave to the United States. When he returned he became the 335th's Squadron Operations Officer, an office he held for only ten days. On 28 August 1944, he was shot down by flak, baled out, captured, interrogated at Valmy train station, subsequently executed by the enemy. Killed in Action (KIA). He had scored 13.5 confirmed [8.5 Air] [5 Ground] and 2.5 probables.

Awards: DFC [4 OLC], AM [3 OLC], PH.

His name is on the Tablets of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery. In January 2016, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency exhumed the remains of an Unknown Soldier buried in Plot B Row 5 Grave 66 at Epinal American Cemetery with the belief that an identification could be made. Laboratory analysis and circumstantial evidence were used to positively identify the remains as belonging to Capt. Albert L. Schlegel.

His name remains permanently inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing. When an individual’s remains have been accounted for by the U.S. Department of Defense, a rosette is placed next to the name on the Wall/Tablet/Court of the Missing to mark that the person now rests in a known gravesite.

Service

Events

Event	Location	Date
Born	Cleveland, OH, USA	20 August 1919
Son of Albert Lewis Sr and Lillian Olive [Honsberg] Schlegel.
Enlisted	Toronto, ON, Canada	3 March 1941
Joined Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF, 3-Mar-41. Aircraftsman 2nd Class.
Service flight training	Goderich, ON, Canada	24 March 1941
Ground and primary flight training RCAF Air Station, Goderich, Ontario on the shores of Lake Huron.
Flight training	Aylmer, ON N5H, Canada	June 1941
Single engine fighter training at Alymer, Ontario.
Graduated [pilot] / Promotion	Ontario, Canada	23 October 1941
Awarded wings when he graduated on 23-Oct-41, as Sgt pilot.
Overseas deployment to ETO	England, UK	23 November 1941
Deployed to England, 23-Nov-41. Posted to the Bournemouth Personnel Reception Centre.
Operational service training	England, UK	7 December 1941
Posted to an RAF Operational Training Unit (OTU).
Wounded in crash / Hospitalised	England, UK	8 February 1942 – August 1942
Wounded in accident in Lorry with ran into a bomb crater. Suffered broken right leg and foot, facial injuries, a concussion. Hospitalised. 8-Feb-42.
Returned to flight status	England, UK	September 1942
Returned to flight status in September 1942.
OTU training	England, UK	7 October 1942 – 29 December 1942
Resumed OTU training on 7-Oct-42 completing it on 29-Dec-42.
Promotion	Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK	29 December 1942
Commissioned Flight Officer 29-Dec-42.
Transferred USAAF / Promoted F/O	Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK	25 January 1943
Transferred USAAF Jan-43. Promoted to Flight Officer.
Honourably discharged RCAF	Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK	25 January 1943
Honourably discharged from the RCAF 25-Jan-43. 249.30 flying hours mostly in Hurricanes.
Transitional training	Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK	February 1943 – 3 July 1943
Transitioned to USAAF fighters, Spitfires, P-39's and laterly P-47's.
Based	Debden	3 July 1943 – 28 August 1944
Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.
Promotion	Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK	August 1943
Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.
E/A destroyed	Germany	2 October 1943
Me109 destroyed.
Promotion	Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK	28 January 1944
Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.
Crashed	Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK	4 March 1944
Landing Accident Gear collapsed Debden/Sta 356 Cat 3 damage Capt Albert L Schlegel, 4-Mar-44. P-51B 43-6770 - 335FS 4FG 8AF.
Flight Leader	Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK	5 March 1944
Flight Leader 335FS, 4FG, 8AF.
E/A destroyed	17100 Saintes, France	21 March 1944
He111 destroyed. South of Saintes.
E/A destroyed [2], shared [1], damaged [1]	Brunswick, Germany	8 April 1944
1 x Fw190 destroyed, 1 x Fw190 shared, 1 x Me109 shared, 1 x Fw190 damaged [ground], Brunswick, Germany. Also train Loco damaged.
E/A destroyed [2]	Kassel, Germany	22 April 1944
2 x Me109 destroyed. Kassel, Germany.
E/A destroyed [2], shared [1]	Worms, Germany	24 April 1944
2 x Fw190 destroyed. 1 x Fw190 shared. Worms, Germany.
Promotion	Debden, Saffron Walden CB11, UK	28 April 1944
Promoted to Captain.
Died	51800 Valmy, France	28 August 1944
Shot down by flak, baled out in vicinity of Valmy, executed by enemy. Killed In Action (KIA). 28-Aug-44. MACR 8299.
Buried	Valmy, France	28 August 1944
Unmarked grave, near train station, Valmy, France.
Buried	51150 Champigneul-Champagne, France	18 November 1944
Interred unknown as X-73 American Cemetery Champigueul
Buried		1945
Tablets of the Missing Lorraine American Cemetery
Buried	Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial	6 December 1948
Re-Interred unknown as X-73 Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial.
Buried	Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, SC	30 March 2017
Post Identification Returned home and buried at Beaufort VA National Cemetery.