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name
WEST, Walter Richard "Dick" - Date of
birth
31 January 1923 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio -
Hometown
Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
15375408 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Left Waist Gunner -
Unit
773rd Bombardment Squadron,
463rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
25 December 1944 - Place of
death
Bartelsdorf, Czechoslovakia
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| C | 31 | 11 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Walter T. West (father)
Geneva H. West (mother)
Priscilla H. West (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
44-6631 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Brux, Czechoslovakia
Mission: Bombing of south synthetic oil refinery
MACR: 10649
More information
S/Sgt Walter R. West graduated from Thomas A. DeVilbiss High School in 1941 and attended Toledo University for one year.He enlisted on 14 December 1942 at Patterson Field, Fairfield, Ohio.
Statement of S/Sgt Glenn W. Hollingsworth:
"I was flying as tail gunner in the lead ship of the Group and I saw ship #631 get hit in #3 engine. The engine and wing then caught on fire. The plane dropped back out of the formation, gained a little altitude and then peeled off to the right in a slow spiral with men bailing out. I counted five men as they bailed out. The plane was then out of my sight due to the smoke screen".
S/Sgt West was first buried in the County cemetery of Bartelsdorf on 2 January 1945.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, www.fold3.com - MACR, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Amanda L. Goodman