Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
BECKNELL, Wallace Earl - Date of
birth
26 January 1913 -
Age
31 - Place of
birth
Texas -
Hometown
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
39262295 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Assistant Engineer/Right Waist Gunner -
Unit
358th Bombardment Squadron,
303rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
3 February 1944 - Place of
death
40 miles off Terschelling, North Sea
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Wallace W. Becknell (father)
Rebecca M. (Bush( Beckell (mother)
George T. Becknell (brother)
Herman W. Becknell (brother)
Howard D. Becknell (brother)
Nellie P. Becknell (sister)
Mildred L. Becknell (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-37927 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Wilhelmshaven
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat yards
MACR: 2238
More information
Sgt Wallace E. Becknell attended collegeand was a sales clerk. He enlisted in Los Angeles, California on 24 October 1942.The airplane was probably hit by flak and was last seen after leaving the target and peeling off from the formation as to penetrate the overcast. It rolled over on its back and headed straight down. It crashed into the North Sea with the loss of the entire crew of ten and no bodies were recovered.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, 303rd Bomb Group, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees / 1940 Census
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, 303rd Bomb Group