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Personal info

Full name
SEYFRIED, Francis Joseph
Date of birth
22 November 1921
Age
23
Place of birth
Ridgewood, Queens County, New York
Hometown
Queens, Queens County, New York

Military service

Service number
12122700
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Tail Gunner
Unit
350th Bombardment Squadron,
100th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
31 December 1944
Place of death
Horumersiel, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
John J. Seyfried (father)
Mary T. (Mueller) Seyfried (mother)
John G. Seyfried (brother)
Charles A. Seyfried (brother)
Marie R. Seyfried (sister)
George J. Seyfried (brother)
Philip Seyfried (brother)
Joseph Seyfried (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
43-38457
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Nine Lives
Destination: Hamburg Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Rheunania Ossag oil refinery
MACR: 11359

More information

S/Sgt Francis Seyfried was a clerk. He was involved in sports as a member of the Queens Baseball and Football alliances, as well as a Golden Gloves boxer known as Frank "K.O." Seyfried.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in New York City, New York on 5 October 1942.

S/Sgt Seyfried was one of five brothers who served in WWII.

The airplane pancaked together with another B-17 (42-31987). They circled and crash landed still attached to each other. There was no fire from the planes with in the air or on the ground although there was some smoke.

Four crew members were taken prisoner, five were killed. According to statements of surviving crew men after the war, their comrades all bailed out but it is supposed they all landed in the water.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Kathy Seyfried (niece), www.ancestry.com - Alligood/Lyden/Lechner/Robley Family Tree, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.8thafhs.com

Photo source: Michel Beckers, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree / Kathy Seyfried (niece), www.100thbg.com, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 44-C, Hicks Field, Fort Worth, Texas