Glen Leo Hinkebein

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-52151.jpeg UPL 52151 S/Sgt Glen L. Hinkebein, 467BG

Object Number - UPL 52151 - S/Sgt Glen L. Hinkebein, 467BG

Glen Leo Hinkebein was born Friday May 7, 1920 in Leopold, MO to Ted and Olivia Glastetter Hinkebein. Glen was the first born of 7 boys, Vernon Martin Hinkebein 1/10/1922, Luke Theodore Hinkebein 1/18/1925, Ennis William Hinkebein 11/23/1927, Ralph Henry Hinkebein 8/3/1932, Richard Anthony Hinkebein 7/15/1936 & Willard Hinkebein 8/19/1939.



Glen Graduated high school from Chaffee High in 1939 where he was a member of the debate team and Mogul staff literary editor. Glen placed in the SEMO High School Meet in Art and won the Scott County Contest for State Student Assembly. His prophecy lists him as the President of the “Land”. Glen was voted Most Studious as well as Most Likely to Succeed by his class.



After graduation, Glen moved to St Louis where he lived with his uncle Bill Hinkebein at 6240 Berthold Ave in the Dogtown Neighborhood. Glen worked in maintenance under his uncle Bill at Christian Brothers College. He was still living there in 1941 when he completed his D.S.S. Form 1 (Draft Registration Form). The form has a subsequent address of 2902 Allendale Rd, Baltimore MD written in red ink that is not in the same handwriting. (Per Willard Hinkebein, Glen moved to Baltimore to work for the Social Security Office.)



On March 20, 1942 Glen was enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in Sikeston, MO.



On August 1, 1943 the 467th Bomber Group was activated at Wendover AAFd, Utah.



From September 8, 1943 to Mid October 1943 the 467th Bomber Group was assembled at Mountain Home AAfd, Idaho.



From Mid October, 1943 until November 1, 1943 the 467th Bomber Group was based at Kearns Field, Utah.



On November 1, 1943 the 467th Bomber Group was detailed to train at Wendover Field.



On January 25, 1944 Glen was transferred to Topeka Kansas with a MOS of E-0612 – Airplane Armorer/Gunner



On February 12, 1944 they were transferred by train to Camp Shanks, NY.



On February 28, 1944 Glen was assigned to the 790th Bomber Squadron which was part of the 467th Bomber Group under the 8th AAF and boarded the SS Frederick Lykes in route to Rackheath Airfield in Norwich, UK.



March 10, 1944 the SS Frederick Lykes arrived in Clyde.



March 12, 1944 Glen arrived at Rackheath and was assigned to Crew #057-R0 as a gunner in the 790th Bomber Squadron.



April 11, 1944 Glen flew his 1st mission, Mission #002, on the B-24H-15-FO Ser#42-52534 Witchcraft. This mission was to Oschersleben Germany to strike the Focke-Wolf Aircraft Factory. The mission included 28 aircrafts. 1 aircraft was lost with 7 KIA. The other 27 returned.



April 18, 1944 Glen flew his 2nd mission, Mission #006, on B-24H-10-DT Ser#41-28695 Ruth-Marie. This mission was to Brandenburg Germany to strike the Ardo Aircraft Factory with a secondary target of Friedrichs train station Berlin Germany. The mission included 26 aircrafts. 1 aborted and returned early, 25 completed the mission and returned with 0 losses.



April 20, 1944 was mission 3, Mission #008, again aboard B-24H-10-DT Ser#41-28695 Ruth-Marie. This mission was to Siracourt France to strike the Noball (V-1 Rocket) Installation. The mission included 14 aircrafts but only 13 dispatched. Of the 13, 3 returned early and there were 0 losses.



April 25, 1944 was mission 4, Mission#012, again aboard B-24H-10-DT Ser#41-28695 Ruth-Marie. This mission was to Mannheim Germany no specific target listed. The mission included 25 aircrafts but only 22 dispatched. 1 aborted and 21 completed the mission and there were 0 losses.



April 27, 1944 was mission 5, Mission#015, aboard B-24H-15-CF Ser#41-29421 Wallowing Wilbert. This mission was to Blainville France no specific target listed. The mission included 26 aircrafts but only 21 dispatched. 3 aborted and 21 completed the mission and there were 0 losses.



April 29, 1944 was mission 6 for Glen, Mission#016, aboard B-24H-10-DT Ser#41-28730 Blonde Bomber. This mission was to Berlin Germany to strike Friedrichstrasse Station. On this fateful mission, there were 28 aircrafts assigned but only 3 were dispatched. All 3 aircrafts were lost, 11 KIA, 15 POW.



Glen lost his life that day on a Douglas built B24H Liberator Heavy Bomber, serial # 41-28730, Blond Bomber. They were shot up over Berlin and in an attempt to return to Rackheath airbase they went down north of Hanover. In a story retold to me by my father, Luke Hinkebein, Uncle Glen was in the Ball Turret (sometimes called the belly gunner turret), which is a retractable power driven turret with 2 .50 Cal machine guns. The design and location of the turret requires it to be retracted for landings and to enable the gunner to enter and exit the turret.





The story dad told was relayed from when the pilot John Gavin and I believe the navigator Linton Allen visit Grandma Hinkebein sometime after the war. The story is that once they knew they were not going to make it, they went back to the turret to get Glen before bailing out. Glen told them to leave him and he would hold fire while they bailed as by the time they got him out of the turret, there would not be enough time for them to jump before the plane crashed. The 6 crew members, who were able to bail, were captured and held as POW’s until the end of the war.



29th April 1944: Group Mission No.16

Target: Friedrichstrasse Station Berlin, Ger.



Aircraft: B-24H-10-DT 41-28730 "BLOND BOMBER" 790BS MACR#4942

Remarks: Ship believed to have been hit by flak over Berlin. Made some distance back, finally crashing north of Hanover.

Six crew bailed out and were captured as POW'S:

1st. Lt. John P. Gavin (Pilot)

2nd Lt. Frank L. Billiter (Co-pilot)

2nd Lt. Linton A. Allen (Navigator)

T/Sgt. Eugene J. Kuhns (Engineer)

S/Sgt. John B. Angus (Tail-gunner)

S/Sgt. Vernon M. Baize (Radio-operator).



Four crew killed:

2nd Lt. Duane E. ATLEY, Bombardier

S/Sgt. Raymond T. RUSSELL, Gunner

S/Sgt. Leonard G. SAGER, Waist Gunner

S/Sgt. Glen L. HINKEBEIN, Waist Gunner Serial # 17038895



In May, 1944 Grandma and Grandpa Hinkebein were advised that Glen was Missing in Action from the April 29th air mission.

In August, 1944 they received confirmation that Glen had been killed in the crash.

One year later the war in Europe ended with the Nazis unconditionally surrendering on May 8, 1945.



September 20, 1950 a letter was sent to Grandpa and Grandma informing them that Glen’s remains, along with the remains of the other 3 crew members killed along with him, had been returned to the US and given proper burial in section I Grave # 215-216 in the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville KY. Per the letter, due to the circumstances of their deaths, the remains were unable to be separated so they were laid to rest together and a headstone erected to mark the “common grave of these fallen heroes”.



Glen’s ultimate sacrifice is also memorialized at the Circle Park in Chaffee, MO, The War Memorial in Downtown St Louis, MO (although his name is misspelled) and on the Veteran’s Memorial Stone in the Dogtown neighborhood in South St Louis City.



Gone but Never Forgotten



Written by Dan Hinkebein, Son of Luke and Leevada Hinkebein, Grandson of Ted and Olivia Hinkebein – Though I never had the opportunity to know him, his ultimate sacrifice has made me proud to be related to him my entire life.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 467th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 467th Bomb Group 790th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-803181
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Ruth-Marie
  • Unit: 467th Bomb Group 790th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Blonde Bomber
  • Unit: 467th Bomb Group 790th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Wallowing Wilbert
  • Unit: 467th Bomb Group 791st Bomb Squadron
A B-24 Liberator (Q2-M_, serial number 42-52534) nicknamed "Witchcraft" of the 467th Bomb Group in flight.
  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Witchcraft
  • Unit: 467th Bomb Group 790th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Benton, MO 7 May 1920 Son of Theodore Martin and Olivia Frances [Glastetter] Hinkebein.

Enlisted

Sikeston, MO 20 March 1942 Sikeston, Missouri

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

Hanover Germany 29 April 1944 Shot down 29 April 1944 in B-24 41-28730 'Blond Bomber. ' Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 4942
St Louis, MO

Buried

Zachary Taylor National Cemetery Louisville Jefferson County, KY Re-Interred Zachary Taylor National Cemetery Louisville Jefferson County, Kentucky

Based

Rackheath 29 April 1944 Assigned to 790BS, 467BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

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ContributorDhink
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ContributorDhink
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Multiple sources collected over the years and family stories and history.

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ContributorAl_Skiff
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ContributorDhink
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family photo

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ContributorDhink
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Multiple sources including Glen's Draft Card, Family Stories, and documents received by the family.

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Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 4942. See also Watts book p 83.

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Contributorjmoore43
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Added the words "Possible DUPLICATE" in the nickname field so an admin can check out this person.

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Contributorjmoore43
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Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.

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ContributorAAM
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Sources

MACR 4942 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Glen Leo Hinkebein: Gallery (1 items)