James F Eckrich

Military

Assigned to 450BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Euskirchen, Germany hit by fighters, port engine on fire, tail and rudder damaged, spun down in flames over the target. Prisoner of War (POW) 23-Dec-44 MACR 11404.



Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

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

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
  • Unit: 322nd Bomb Group 450th Bomb Squadron 452nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

The nose art of a B-26 Marauder (serial number 42-95865) nicknamed "Sky Hag" of the 391st Bomb Group.
  • Date: 23 December 1944

Places

Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Winnebago, WI 54901, USA 21 June 1922 Son of George Oliver and Edna Marie [Coutley] Eckrich.

Enlisted

Milwaukee, WI, USA 1 June 1942

Other

Shot down

53902 Bad Münstereifel, Germany 23 December 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Euskirchen, Germany hit by fighters, port engine on fire, tail and rudder damaged, spun down in flames over the target. POW 23-Dec-44 MACR 11404.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 23 December 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.

Died

Winnebago County, WI, USA 23 February 1968
Wisconsin, USA

Based

Andrews Field 23 December 1944 Assigned to 450BS, 322BG, 9AF USAAF.

Buried

Oshkosh, WI, USA Calvary Catholic Cemetery Oshkosh Winnebago County Wisconsin, USA