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name
POYTHRESS, Whitney Fulton Jr - Date of
birth
11 June 1922 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Orange County, North Carolina -
Hometown
Orange County, North Carolina
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-801569 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
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
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Whitney F. Poythress (father)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31122 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Six Nights in Telergma (Arabian Nights)
Destination: Emden, Germany
MACR: 1583
More information
The a/c was shot down by an Bf 110G-2 of ZG 26.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, www.390th.org, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, Andrew Anzanos (390th BG, 570th Sqd, Top Turret/Flight Engineer)
Photo source: Terry Row, Peter Schouteten