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Personal info

Full name
TAGGART, Lyle Arthur
Date of birth
5 August 1921
Age
23
Place of birth
Blue Earth County, Minnesota
Hometown
San Francisco, San Francisco County, California

Military service

Service number
O-780073
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
450th Bombardment Squadron,
322nd Bombardment Group, Medium
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
23 February 1945
Place of death
1 mile east of Zulpich, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
L 7 8

Immediate family

Members
Arthur J. Honetschlager (father)
Grace M. Adams (mother)

Plane data

Serial number
41-31888
Data
Type: B-26 B31
Nickname: War Eagle
Destination: Zulpich, Germany
Mission: Bombing of a communication center
MACR: 12642

More information

Lyle Taggart attended college for one year.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in San Francisco, California on 19 February 1943.

It was reported that on the bomb run, this airplane took a direct hit below the cockpit, fell out of formation into an unrecoverable spin, and exploded on impact on a highway one mile east of the target. All six crew members were killed.

See http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=sh&GRid=32608458 for additional biographical information.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Find A Grave, American Battle Monuments Commission, WWII Memorial

Photo source: Cindy K. Coffin, Peter Schouteten