Earl Sampson Lyles Jr

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Killed in Action (KIA). B-17 #42-97093 'Doc's Flying Circus' or 'Girl of my Dreams' or 'I'll Get By'. Severe icing occurred during assembly for Kassel mission. Ship went into spin, Earl S. Lyles Jr. and Charles Spector bail out, Killed in Action (KIA).

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 390th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ill Get By
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron

Missions

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5725) nicknamed "This is IT!" of the 381st Bomb Group opens her bomb bay doors during a mission.
  • Date: 30 December 1944
B-17s of the 398th Bomb Group bombing the railyard at Bingen, 29 December 1944. Printed caption on reverse: '57548 AC- With bomb bay doors open, the first of a large formation of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses send their bombs plummeting earthwards on rail installations at Bingen, Germany, as heavy bombers of US Eighth Air Force press home their attack of December 29, 1944. US Air Force Photo.'
  • Date: 29 December 1944
  • Date: 25 December 1944
Eleven men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of a military airplane.  Six men standing to the rear and five men sitting in front.  Some of the men are wearing cold-weather flying gear.
  • Date: 18 December 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Houston, TX 12 December 1924
Houston, TX 29 December 1942 2417 Spring Street

Died

in the vicinity of Framlingham Airfield, UK 30 December 1944 Attempted to bail out of his severely iced up and spinning a/c. He was however KIA. The pilot recovered the a/c and was able to return to base.

Buried

Houston, tX 3 June 1949 Hollywood Cemetery Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA Plot Section C Lot 175 Grave 1

Revisions

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Combat Chronology, Unit Website / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia