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name
SHEPHERD, Ancil Ulyss - Date of
birth
17 September 1920 -
Age
24 -
Place of birth
Campbell County, Tennessee -
Hometown
Sweetwater, Monroe County, Tennessee
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
14121372 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Tail Turret Gunner -
Unit
750th Bombardment Squadron,
457th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
7 October 1944 - Place of
death
Szczecin, Poland
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
James H. Shepherd (father)
Malinda (Ford) Shepherd (mother)
Katherine Shepherd (sister)
Ola Shepherd (sister)
Troy H. Shepherd (brother)
Texie Shepherd (sister)
Adie R. Shepherd (brother)
Luther E. Shepherd (brother)
Kelly G. Shepherd (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
44-8046 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Politz, Poland
Mission: Bombing of the synthetic oil refinery
MACR: 9767
More information
Ancil U. Sheperd was a farmer.He volunteered for the Army of the United States at Camp Forrest, Tennessee, on 25 May 1942.
The group was the subject of intense, accurate flak, both barrage and tracking type. The #2 engine and perhaps #3 caught on fire. The aircraft went down in a steep dive, spiral, or flat spin. The engine and piece of the right wing came off. Then a section of the tail came off. The plane blew up or fell apart. Some pieces were seen to land in Stettiner harbor.
In 2022 a group of researchers of the Polish Arms Museum in KoĊobrzeg discovered remains of the wreckage in the bay of Szczecin. Of three crew members, the remians were never found, and they could still be inside the wreckage. It is now being investigated if the wreckage can be salvaged. A report on the search can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=856GeNDah5E
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.ancestry.com - Army Enlistment Record, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - Curtis Family Tree
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Homepage - The 457th Bomb Group (H) Association (457thbombgroupassoc.org)