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Personal info

Full name
COLBY, Leslie William
Date of birth
24 February 1920
Age
23
Place of birth
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Hometown
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
T-187567
Rank
Flight Officer
Function
unknown
Unit
450th Bombardment Squadron,
322nd Bombardment Group, Medium
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
9 September 1943
Place of death
North Sea, off the coast of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Tablets of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Ida (Meyer) Colby (mother)
Viola H. Colby (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
41-18058
Data
Type: B-26B
Destination: Le Portel, France
Mission: Bombing of coastal defenses
MACR: 15604

More information

F/O Leslie W. Colby attended high school for four years. He was employed as a lineman at the Illinois Bell Telephone Company.
He enlisted on 7 October 1941 in Chicago, Illinois.
The airplane was hit by flak over the target and turned for home, but went out of control, and disintegrated prior to crashing into the North Sea. The entire crew of six men was killed.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: FOHF