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name
WATTLES, Fred Mason Jr - Date of
birth
23 November 1917 -
Age
25 - Place of
birth
Green Bay, Brown County, Wisconsin -
Hometown
Westchester County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-795321 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
511th Bombardment Squadron,
351st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Died of Wounds - Date of
death
17 July 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Fred M. Wattles (father)
Inez M. (Casner) Wattles (mother)
Eleanor C. Wattles (sister)
Betty L. Wattles (sister)
Elizabeth (Reuhl) Wattles (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-29872 -
Data
Nickname: Snow Ball
Destination: Hannover, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the rail industry
More information
Fred M. Wattles Jr. as employed at the J.P. Morgan Company in New York.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in New York City, New York on 20 March 1942. After completing his pre-flight training at Maxwell Field he transferred to the Air Force Navigation School at Monroe, Louisiana, and took advanced training. He received his wings there in December 1942. He then reported to Salt Lake City, and later to Blythe Fields, California, where he was assigned to a bomber crew and started the first phase of tactical training. He took the second phase at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas and finished at Pueblo Colorado Air Base.
The airplane was shot down by flak, ditched into the North Sea and sunk within seconds. Nine of ten crew members were picked up by RAF Walruses L2307 and L2238. 2nd Lt Fred M. Wattles Jr. was killed.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.8thafhs.com, www.ancestry.com – 1940 Census / Family Tree / WWII Draft Card, www.myheritage.nl - Wellsboro Gazette (Pennsylvania)
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Fred Munckhof, www.myheritage.nl - Wellsboro Gazette (Pennsylvania)