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96th Bomb Group, 339th Bomb Squadron, crew members identified as "Marty" Zajicek and Steele M. Roberts.
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You can clearly see "Marty" on the jacket for Martin Zajicek, a member of Lt. David L. Thomas crew
POW crashed near Schieben on 19 Mar 45 in B-17 #44-8704. Came down SW of Calau. On the following day Sgt. Roberts was escorted by Germans to the churchyard of a small town where his comrades were lain out in a wagon prior to burial.
"T-Sgt Steele F. Roberts preceeded me in jumping from forward escape hatch. Sgt. Roberts flying as top gunner was first one aware of our peril and after being certain he could no longer assist pilot, dove to catwalk under pilot compartment, released door and jumped."
"Sgt Roberts after capture, was taken to a small Church yard outside of a small unknown town, and was asked by his captors to identify the bodies of eight men. He did not tell his captors that they were members of his aircrew but satisfied himself beyond a doubt that these men were members of his crew. The above mentioned officer was positively identified as one."
Service
People
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Military | Captain | Navigator | 96th Bomb Group
Assigned Oct 1944. March 19, 1945, Glen Wallace wrote in his diary, "What a screwed-up mission! Briefed to hit Rhuland, but didn't. Made a run over it and caught pretty accurate flak. Then we made a run on a secondary and caught more. We also we
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Military | Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
KIA near Schieben in B-17 #448704. March 19, 1945, Glen Wallace wrote in his diary, "What a screwed-up mission! Briefed to hit Rhuland, but didn't. Made a run over it and caught pretty accurate flak. Then we made a run on a secondary and caught
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
KIA near Schieben in B-17 #44-8704. March 19, 1945, Glen Wallace wrote in his diary, "What a screwed-up mission! Briefed to hit Rhuland, but didn't. Made a run over it and caught pretty accurate flak. Then we made a run on a secondary and caught [......
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Units served with
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Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
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Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 30/11/44; Hunter 17/12/44; Dow Fd 5/12/44; Assigned 339BS/96BG Snetterton 22/1/45; Missing in Action Jena Opt Wks 19/3/45 with Capt Francis Jones, Co-pilot: Dave Thomas, Bombardier: George Vandruff, Radio Operator: Herb Rotfeld,...
Associated Place
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Military site : non-airfield
Exact location unknown - centred on the Eccles Road area adjacent to Snetterton Heath 138. There is an active, but un-manned railway station there that would probably have been used in Eccles proposed capacity as a Strategic Air Depot Area. However,...
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Military site : non-airfield
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Military site : airfield
Intended to be an RAF bomber base, construction of Snetterton Heath started in Autumn 1942 but continued until mid-1943, because it was extended after allocation as an Eighth Air Force bomber base. It had eventually three concrete runways, 50...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA |
1921 |
Enlisted |
Pittsburgh, PA, USA |
15 August 1942 |
Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
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Prisoner of War (POW) |
Germany |
19 March 1945 |
Died |
Sewickley, PA 15143, USA |
11 February 2000 |
Steele M. Roberts, 78, of Sewickley, on Friday, Feb. 11, 2000. Beloved husband of Mary Speidel Roberts; father of Steele M. Jr. and E. Dexter Roberts; brother of Olive Roberts Kuhn and Joseph L. Roberts; and four grandchildren. Funeral services will be held in Christ Church at Grove Farm, 243 Duff Road, Ohio Township, Sewickley, Monday at 2 p.m. with the Rev. John Guest officiating. Arrangements by R.D. COPELAND'S IRVINE CHAPEL, 702 Beaver St., Sewickley.
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