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name
SCHEXNAYDER, Joseph Lloyd - Date of
birth
5 July 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Garyville, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana -
Hometown
Garyville, St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-684807 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
66th Bombardment Squadron,
44th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
13 November 1943 - Place of
death
Ijsselmeer, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Maurice J. Schexnayder (father)
Lydia (Lambert) Schexnayder (mother)
Earl J. Schexnayder (brother)
Mildred Schexnayder (sister)
Lester Schexnayder (brother)
Alline D. (White) Schexnayder (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-40973 -
Data
Type: B-24
Nickname: Battleaxe
Destination: Bremen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the port
MACR: 1375
More information
Joseph L. Schexnayder attended high school for four years and was an electrician.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States on 20 March 1942 at Fort McClellan, Alabama.
The squadron reported that at the IP, slight inaccurate flak was encountered at 24,000 feet, bombs were away at 1147 hours. Over the target, flak was slight and inaccurate and fighter opposition slackened due to support of P-38s.
From the target out to the coast, flak again was inaccurate, spasmodic.
This airplane was last seen flying in a diamond formation with the group to within 20 minutes from the English coast. One engine was smoking heavily, and the aircraft was gliding down under control. Air Sea Rescue Service was notified as soon as crews were interrogated, but there were no eyewitnesses to a ditching or crash of this aircraft. It seems most likely that they ditched, as later bodies of two crew members were found.
The entire crew of ten men was killed.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, www.44thbombgroup.org, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Schexnayder Family Tree
Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Rene Bosma, Schexnayder Family Tree