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name
LAMBRECHT, Alexander John - Date of
birth
24 November 1917 -
Age
26 - Place of
birth
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois -
Hometown
Isanti County, Minnesota
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
17051814 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Top Turret Gunner/Engineer -
Unit
339th Bombardment Squadron,
96th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
20 June 1944 - Place of
death
Near Erzleben, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Alex Lambrecht (father)
Susanna (Grebel) Lambrecht (mother)
John Lambrecht (brother)
Peter Lambrecht (brother)
Katherine Lambrecht (sister)
Mary Ann Lambrecht (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-102612 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Magdeburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing Oil Installations
MACR: 5897
More information
T/Sgt Alexander J. Lambrecht enlisted in Fort Snelling on 19 May 1942.The aircraft blew up before landing and crashed near Erzleben, 18 Miles west-north-west of Magdeburg, Germany. The whole crew could bail out, 9 of them met on the ground alive and were taken prisoner, except T/Sgt Alexander Lambrecht. It's believed he was murdered by civilians upon reaching the ground and that his body was hidden to prevent disclosure of the crime.
In early 1945, T/Sgt Lambert's older brother, S/Sgt John Lambrecht, was assigned permanent duty in the US as the sole surviving son. Pvt Peter Lambrecht, a paratrooper, had been killed in Italy in 1943.
Source of information: André Koch, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.fold3.com - MACR 5897, WWII Draft Card, 1940 US Census
Photo source: André Koch, Monty