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Personal info

Full name
FINKELSTEIN, Albert
Date of birth
3 July 1921
Age
22
Place of birth
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Hometown
Los Angeles County, California

Military service

Service number
O-735953
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Bombardier
Unit
333rd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
17 July 1943
Place of death
Near Helgoland, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Morris Finkelstein (father)
Sadie (Premak) Finkelstein (mother)
Julius Finkelstein (brother)
Roann (Guttenberg) Finkelstein (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
42-3219
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Dear Mom
Destination: Hamburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft industry
MACR: 93

More information

2nd Lt Albert Finkelstein attended college and was employed at the Ambassador Hotel before he volunteered for the Air Corps of the U.S. Army in Los Angeles, California on 24 April 1942.

The element originally designated to attack Hamburg was a combined force of 125 B-17's, but weather caused a recall of this formation. However 84 B-17's from 94BG (18), 95BG (23), 96BG (21) and 100BG (22) sighted a German ship convoy on the return. Only one B-17 from BG96 managed to drop on the convoy. Another segment of this formation, 385BG (21) and 388BG (20) attempted to bomb the Fokker aircraft factory at Amsterdam. Ao total of 22 aircraft attempted the bombing, but the results were highly scattered and 150 civilians were killed. 1 B-17 from 94BG, aircraft 42-3219, was shot down by enemy aircraft (2 engines were hit) near Helgoland, Germany.

The entire crew was killed. Every crew member, with the exception of waist gunner Everett A. Quimby is remembered on the Walls of the Missing at Margraten. We have no information why he isn't mentioned.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, WWII Draft Card, www.8thafhs.com, www.footnote.com, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Arie-Jan van Hees, Bombardier Class Book 43-1, Victorville Army Flying School, California