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name
BACK, Walter P - Date of
birth
31 October 1916 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Menifee County, Kentucky -
Hometown
Middletown, Butler County, Ohio
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
15196261 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Aerial Engineer/Top Turret Gunner -
Unit
368th Bombardment Squadron,
306th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
3 November 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Oliver P. Back (father)
Alpha (Helton) Back (mother)
Ada P. Back (sister)
Nellie B. Back (sister)
Idal L. Back (sister)
Henry Back (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30776 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Lady Marylin
Destination: Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat yards
MACR: 1158
More information
T/Sgt Walter P. Back attended Middletown High school for 4 years and was a craneman. He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States at Patterson Field, Fairfield, Ohio on 27 April 1942.The airplane collided in mid-air with B-17 #42-3533. All crew members of both planes, twenty men in total, were killed.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, www.306thbg.org, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Bonnie Smith, Stefan Warnier