Bruce C Alexander
Military ROLL OF HONOURBruce Alexander’s father died in 1931 and his mother Edith raised alone his other siblings, brother Paul J. and sister Phyllis. In 1940, Bruce was working as a clerk in a grocery store. He attended Anaheim High School and studied 4 years there. He was working as a photographer before his enlistment in February 1943. He followed pilot training and was sent overseas where he was assigned to the 486th Bomb Group / 833rd Bomb Squadron in England. On his 2nd mission, he was pilot of B-17 “The Last Roundup” #43-37927, on the 6 December 1944 mission to Merseburg, Germany. The B-17 was hit by Flak and crashed near Ijmuiden, The Netherlands. Bruce Alexander and the 8 other crew members were killed. Killed In Action (KIA) - Missing Air Crew Report – MACR 11048.
Bruce Alexander is still listed as Missing In Action and has no known grave.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with

- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment

- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 486th Bomb Group 833rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-771285
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 486th Bomb Group 833rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36747223
- Highest Rank: Corporal
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 486th Bomb Group 833rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Corporal
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 486th Bomb Group 833rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 486th Bomb Group 833rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Corporal
- Role/Job: waist gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Last Roundup
- Unit: 486th Bomb Group 833rd Bomb Squadron
Missions

- Date: 6 December 1944
Places

- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Acton
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Enlisted |
Santa Ana, California, United States | 8 February 1943 | in the Air Corps as an Aviation Cadet |
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
IJmuiden, Pays-Bas | 6 December 1944 | Killed in the loss of B-17 # 43-37927 |
Other Missing In Action (MIA) |
IJmuiden, The Netherlands | 6 December 1944 | |
Born |
Anaheim, California, USA | the son of George W. and Edith (Nicholson) Alexander | |
Anaheim, Orange County, California, United States | |||
Other Memorialized |
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, The Netherlands | Memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten |
Revisions
Added some punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid readability.
MACR 11048
NARA WWII Enlistment records
ABMC website
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11048 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database