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name
HANDLER, Max - Date of
birth
19 January 1923 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut -
Hometown
Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut -
Religion
Jewish
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
11103619 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Radio Operator/Gunner -
Unit
550th Bombardment Squadron,
385th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
23 March 1944 - Place of
death
Between Hankenbüttel and Oerrel, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 36 | 3 |
Immediate family
-
Members
David Handler (father)
Celia Handler (mother)
Rose Handler (sister)
Morris H. Handler (brother)
Anna Handler (sister)
Minnie Handler (sister)
Elizabeth Handler (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-37959 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Esky
Destination: Brunswick, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft factory
MACR: 3317
More information
S/Sgt Max Handler attended Weaver High School.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Hartford, Connecticut on 9 December 1942.
The airplane was attacked by two enemy fighters after the escorting fighters were diverted. It banked away from the formation with its #2 engine on fire, then it went into a dive. The airplane was disintegrating as it entered the undercast.
Four crew members were taken prisoner, and six men were killed. They were initially buried at the cemetery of Hankenbüttel.
According to a crew member, S/Sgt Handler didn’t bail out. He was certain that he was killed by 20 mm fire.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.abmc.gov , www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil / Jewish Servicemen Card / 1930 Census, www.fold3.com - MACR
Photo source: Jac Engels