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name
MAXWELL, Lyttleton Walton - Date of
birth
29 July 1911 -
Age
32 - Place of
birth
La Grange, Fayette County, Texas -
Hometown
Smithville, Bastrop County, Texas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
18190052 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Left Waist Gunner -
Unit
20th Bombardment Squadron,
2nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
13 April 1944 - Place of
death
Pápa, Hungary
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 19 | 50 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Thomas W. Maxwell Sr. (father)
Mary E. (Perry) Maxwell (mother)
Alonzo R. Maxwell (brother)
Thomas W. Maxwell Jr. (brother)
Mary E. Maxwell (sister)
Selden P. Maxwell (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31837 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Gyor, Hungary
Mission: Bombing of the aircraft plant and depot
MACR: 3916
More information
Sgt Lyttleton W. Maxwell volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Houston, Texas on 29 October 1942.T/Sgt Frederick B. Crutchfield, tail gunner of another B-17 in the group, witnesses what happened: "Just over the target, fighters attacked plane no. 42-31837, from 5 to 7 o’clock. This plane started smoking and a minute later started going down slowly under apparently good control. At this time the parachutes started to come out, the first parachute opened o.k., second and third parachute both on fire. The fourth and fifth parachute opened o.k. then the plane went into a steep dive and started spinning into a steep dive, after the ship had fallen about 17 or 18 thousand feet another parachute opened alright. The plane crashed a few seconds later, into the ground."
Five crew members survived and were taken prisoner, five men were killed.
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 / Whitehead & Noel Family Tree, www.fold3.com, http://aircrewremembered.com/USAAFCombatOperations/Apr.44.html
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Damaris Acevedo / Dan M