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Personal info

Full name
THEOPHILUS, Harry Lewis
Date of birth
12 November 1919
Age
24
Place of birth
Moundsville, Marshall County, West Virginia
Hometown
Franklin County, Ohio

Military service

Service number
O-676877
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
324th Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
18 March 1944
Place of death
Lake Constance near Bregenz, Austria

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 2 38

Immediate family

Members
Harry S. Theophilus (father)
Marjorie A. Theophilus (mother)
William Theophilus (brother)
Mary K. Theophilus (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
42-39967
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Mary Kay
Destination: Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany
Mission: Bombing
MACR: 3224

More information

1st Lt Harry L. Theophilus graduated from West High School with the class of 1937.

He enlisted from Lockbourne Army Air Base, Columbus, Ohio on 3 April 1942.
A flak hit caused the ship to drop out of formation. Enemy aircraft then struck. The A/C crashed on shore of Lake Constance, near Bregenz, Austria. Harry Theophilus was unable to bail out, due to low altitude. He perished in the crash.

Source of information: Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.usaafdata.com, www.8thafhs.com, www.ancestry.com - 1930/1940 Census, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.ancestry.com - West High School Yearbook 1937, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 43-D, Goodfellow Field, Texas.