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Personal info

Full name
CLOUD, Merle Melton
Date of birth
14 February 1918
Age
25
Place of birth
Haskell County, Texas
Hometown
Haskell County, Texas

Military service

Service number
O-670008
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Toggler
Unit
568th Bombardment Squadron,
390th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Missing in Action
Date of death
11 December 1943
Place of death
North Sea, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Henry J. Cloud (father)
Irene (Eingelhall) Cloud (mother)
Joe B. Cloud (brother)
Harold J. Cloud (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31122
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Six Nights in Telergma (Arabian Nights)
Destination: Emden, Germany
MACR: 1583

More information

1st Lt Merle M. Cloud enlisted at Fort Bliss, Texas, on 11 October 1941.

The a/c was shot down by a Bf 110G-2 of ZG 26 with a rocket over the North Sea, Germany.

Andrew Anzanos, 390th BG, 570th Sqd, Top Turret/Flight Engineer: "I was on that mission on Dec. 11, 1943 and had a close-up view as the a/c with wing on fire went by us and the copilot was climbing out on the wing through the copilots window!! It turned out that it was Maj Hansel, the Command Pilot, who did not survive. It looked like he was trying to reach back in for his chest chute when he lost his grip. They were the lead ship. The a/c kept drifting back and blew up out of my sight. I had never heard, before or since, of an escape through the side pilot's windows."

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.390th.org, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, Andrew Anzanos (390th BG, 570th Sqd, Top Turret/Flight Engineer)

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Michel Beckers, Peggy Lowrie, www.findagrave.com - Mark Klausen