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Personal info

Full name
IMLAY, Mark Evan
Date of birth
3 July 1921
Age
23
Place of birth
Hurricane, Washington County, Utah
Hometown
Hurricane, Washington County, Utah

Military service

Service number
19049984
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Waist Gunner
Unit
352nd Bombardment Squadron,
301st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
15 November 1944
Place of death
Oberer Lanschitzsee Mountain Lake, Austria

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
Plot Row Grave
E 19 28

Immediate family

Members
James W. Imlay (father)
Ada H. (Spendlove) Imlay (mother)
James F. Imlay (brother)
Ruth Imlay (sister)
Luetta Imlay (sister)
Kenneth S. Imlay (brother)
Fern I. Imlay (sister)
George W. Imlay (brother)
John H. Imlay (brother)
Florence E. Imlay (sister)
Eva Imlay (sister)
Arthur D. Imlay (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-97728
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Linz, Austria
Mission: Bombing of the tank works
MACR: 10081

More information

S/Sgt Mark E. Imlay attended high school for 4 years and was a machinist before he joined the Regular Army in Fort Macarthur San Pedro, California on 23 October 1940.

While flying at 30,000 feet at 10:42 AM, the bomber's radio operator - S/Sgt Robert Haglund - reported having engine problems. In his distress call, he claimed the severe weather had caused the no. 2 engine to freeze up. It had begun to leak oil. A couple of minutes later he reported that yet another engine had quit working and the aircraft was in trouble. Suddenly the instruments were failing; the plane began spinning out of control. The crippled airplane spiraled into the Schöneck Mountain near Kleinsölk, Austria at 8,000 feet. That was the last anyone heard from them.
After the war, the navigator, Lt Harry Hillhouse stated tthat the plane went down due to several conditions: a run-away prop in No. 2 enging that could not be feathered, oil leak in No. 4 engine and extremely bad ecing in which diving of climbing could not relieve the situation. The plane went out of control and started into a power spin form an altitude of 32,500 feet, from which it failed to pull out.

He is remembered at the Hurricane City Cemetery in Hurricane, Washingthon County, Utah.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov – WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record, www.fold3.com, www.findagrave.com - Mary Evans

Photo source: www.ancestry.com – Laura Haven