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Personal info

Full name
STEVENSON, Wilbur Paul
Date of birth
5 January 1917
Age
27
Place of birth
Erin Township, Hancock County, Iowa
Hometown
Kanawha, Hancock County, Iowa

Military service

Service number
O-704857
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
574th Bombardment Squadron,
391st Bombardment Group, Medium
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
23 December 1944
Place of death
3 miles east of Ahrweiler, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 35 57

Immediate family

Members
John Stevenson (father)
Marie G. Stevenson (mother)
John R. Stevenson (brother)
Peggy (Muhm) Stevenson (wife)
Jack Stevenson (son)

Plane data

Serial number
42-95838
Data
Type: B-26B
Nickname: Powerful Katrinka
Destination: Ahrweiler, Germany
MACR: 11671

More information

On one mission against a barracks area at Baumholder, Germany, on Nov. 18, Lt. Stevenson's ship was hit badly by enemy anti-craft fire before reaching the target.
The plane's hydraulic system was put out of commission and Stevenson was unable to drop his bombs, so he flew back across France and over the English channel where his bombardier, Lt. Leonard F. Lee of Houston, Tex., kicked the bombs out of the bomb-bay with his feet because of jammed racks.
On another mission on Nov. 9, Lt. Stevenson noticed on his instrument panel that both fuel tanks were empty after having bombed an ammunition dump at Landau, Germany. The bomber's left engine quit 10 miles from base, and the other was sputtering as he limped to the field, making a succesful single-engine landing just before the remaining engine gave out.

Statement of a crew member:
"He gave me order to bail out while he held plane in glide out of spin. At the time I left he was not wounded. We were still under attack, while he was at the controls.
The plane was on fire in the bomb-bay and the right wing was also burning. The right engine was out and my supposition is that the fire hit the gas tanks and blew before Lt. Stevenson had a change to get out as he was holding the plane in a glide so that the rest of the crew could bail out."

Source of information: www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / Iowa Births and Christenings Index, www.fold3.com - MACR, The Mason City Globe-Gazette 9 September 1944 / 15 and 16 January 1945 / 1 March 1945

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, www.wwiimemorial.com - Peggy Stevenson, The Mason City Globe-Gazette 15 January 1945, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 44-A, Blackland Army Air Field, Arizona