Killed in Action (KIA) Shot down at Dorstadt in B-17 #43-37930. Sergeant Kerman was a likeable, charismatic Chicago boy who served as a B-17 Radio Operator for the 303rd Bomb Group, 360th Bomb Squadron. Kerman was murdered by Nazi officials in Wolfenbuettel, Germany on 28 Sept 44 after his plane was shot down on Mission 248 to bomb the Krupp Werks in Madgeburg. Kerman saved wounded crew member Lt. Jack Timmins by pushing him from the disabled craft. Kerman also bailed out but his parachute snagged on the roof of a building near Wolfenbuettel's town square. He was left dangling outside of a second story window and pulled in through that window to a room taken over by Nazi Political Officer Otto Weinreich, Wehrmacht Reserve. Captain Wilhelm Kanschat and Paratrooper Gerd Beck. witnesses at trials at Dachau and Ludwigsburg testified that Kerman had his hand raised in surrender for several minutes when Beck walked up to him and fatally shot him in the back of the neck. As recently as Oct. 2007 two eye witnesses confirmed this account to Kerman's nephew, Matt Smith who was visiting Wolfenbuettel. This story is on the 303rd BG's website



Purple Heart; Citation of Honor