Albert Lewis Schlegel Jr

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-26994.jpeg UPL 26994 Captain Albert L 'Smiley' Schlegel 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force. 'Smiler' joined the RCAF as he lacked the 2 years college required for the USAAC. Trained by the RCAF and deployed to fighter training on a Hurricane equipped OTU in England. 'Smiler' transferred to the USAAF and the 335th at Debden. Seen here in Cleveland in his 'silver tans'.

Object Number - UPL 26994 - Captain Albert L 'Smiley' Schlegel 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force. 'Smiler' joined the RCAF as he lacked the 2 years...

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.

Connections

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Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron

Missions

  • Date: 28 August 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

20 August 1919 Son of Albert Lewis Sr and Lillian Olive [Honsberg] Schlegel.

Enlisted

3 March 1941 Joined Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF, 3-Mar-41. Aircraftsman 2nd Class.

Other

Service flight training

24 March 1941 Ground and primary flight training RCAF Air Station, Goderich, Ontario on the shores of Lake Huron.

Other

Graduated [pilot] / Promotion

23 October 1941 Awarded wings when he graduated on 23-Oct-41, as Sgt pilot.

Other

Overseas deployment to ETO

23 November 1941 Deployed to England, 23-Nov-41. Posted to the Bournemouth Personnel Reception Centre.

Other

Operational service training

7 December 1941 Posted to an RAF Operational Training Unit (OTU).

Other

Wounded in crash / Hospitalised

8 February 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.

Other

OTU training

7 October 1942 - 29 December 1942 Resumed OTU training on 7-Oct-42 completing it on 29-Dec-42.

Other

Promotion

29 December 1942 Commissioned Flight Officer 29-Dec-42.

Other

Transferred USAAF / Promoted F/O

25 January 1943 Transferred USAAF Jan-43. Promoted to Flight Officer.

Other

Honourably discharged RCAF

25 January 1943 Honourably discharged from the RCAF 25-Jan-43. 249.30 flying hours mostly in Hurricanes.

Based

3 July 1943 - 28 August 1944 Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.

Other

E/A destroyed

2 October 1943 Me109 destroyed.

Other

Promotion

28 January 1944 Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Crashed

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.

Other

Flight Leader

5 March 1944 Flight Leader 335FS, 4FG, 8AF.

Other

E/A destroyed

21 March 1944 He111 destroyed. South of Saintes.

Other

E/A destroyed [2], shared [1], damaged [1]

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.

Other

E/A destroyed [2]

22 April 1944 2 x Me109 destroyed. Kassel, Germany.

Other

E/A destroyed [2], shared [1]

24 April 1944 2 x Fw190 destroyed. 1 x Fw190 shared. Worms, Germany.

Other

Promotion

28 April 1944 Promoted to Captain.

Died

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

28 August 1944 Unmarked grave, near train station, Valmy, France.

Buried

18 November 1944 Interred unknown as X-73 American Cemetery Champigueul

Buried

6 December 1948 Re-Interred unknown as X-73 Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial.

Buried

30 March 2017 Post Identification Returned home and buried at Beaufort VA National Cemetery.

Buried

Tablets of the Missing Lorraine American Cemetery

Other

Flight training

Single engine fighter training at Alymer, Ontario.

Other

Returned to flight status

Returned to flight status in September 1942.

Other

Transitional training

3 July 1943 Transitioned to USAAF fighters, Spitfires, P-39's and laterly P-47's.

Other

Promotion

Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Capitalized the words in the "Role/job" field to aid readability.

Date
Contributordecwriter
Changes
Sources

Per the photo, he is wearing one bronze star on the EAME Campaign Medal. His Flight Officer number is verified through NARA files.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbmpilot.asp?Pilot=Schlegel&Subm…
MACR 8299 - https://www.fold3.com/image/28688208
Perry R Nuhn Colonel [Retd] USAF nephew of Albert L Shlegel via email

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Perry R Nuhn Colonel [Retd] USAF nephew of Albert L Shlegel via email

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Date
Contributorperryr
Changes
Sources

Nick name was furnished with photo from 4th Fighter Group Association. Details of their file below.
I am a nephew of Schlegel and was writing article for the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA. when I received two photos from them, nether of which you have in your files.
Regards, Perry R. Nuhn. Colonel USAF (ret) - [email protected]

4th Fighter Group Association details
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Rank: Captain
MOS: 1055 - Pilot, single engine fighter
Unit: 335th Fighter Squadron
Aircraft:
P-47D -1-RE 42-7879 WD-O
P-51B-7-NA 43-6770 WD-O
P-51B-10-NA 42-106464 WD-O
P-51D-10-NA 44-14066 WD-O
4th Service: 3 July 1943 — 28 August 1944
AUG 43 Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant
28 JAN 44 Promoted to 1st Lieutenant
5 MAR 44 Designated Flight Commander B Flight (PD)
28 APR 44 Promoted to Captain
1 MAY 44 Designated squadron Asst Operations officer
18 AUG 44 Designated squadron Operations officer (PD)
28 AUG 44 Struck by flak while strafing targets NW of Strasbourg, France. KIA (MACR 8299)
Victories:
13.5 (8.5 air / 5 ground)
Highlights:
8 APR 44 - 1 FW-190, 2 ME-109’s (shared)
22 APR 44 - 2 ME-109G’s
24 APR 44 - 2 FW-190’s, 1 FW-190 (shared)
Decorations
Distinguished Flying Cross (4 OLC), Air Medal (3 OLC), Presidential Unit Citation.
SCHLEGEL, Albert L.
“Smiley”
B: 20 August 1919 Cleveland, OH
D: 28 August 1944 near Strasbourg, FR

Date
Contributorapollo11
Changes
Sources

Personal research & 'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th fighter Group' by Frank Speer.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 8299 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Albert Lewis Schlegel: Gallery (8 items)