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name
LYNCH, Leo Thomas Jr - Date of
birth
21 July 1925 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Sonoma County, California -
Hometown
Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
19209722 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Waist Gunner -
Unit
548th Bombardment Squadron,
385th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
4 April 1945 - Place of
death
North Sea, northwest of Terschelling, the Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Leo T. Lynch (father)
Alva M. (De Luca) Lynch (mother)
Robert V. Lynch (brother)
Jerald Lynch (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
43-38210 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Angel's Sister
Destination: Kiel, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Deutsche Werke AG, U-boat yards
MACR: 13720
More information
Leo T. Lynch Jr. graduated from Provo High School, where he was a basketball and baseball player. He was employed by the A.S. Schulman Electric Company at the Geneva Works.Sgt Lynch joined the U.S. Army Reserve at Fort Douglas, Utah on 28 December 1943.
The airplane collided with B-17 #43-38639. It broke in two. The front half continued a loop and went over the top of the other aircraft. The remainder of the aircraft adhered to the other airplane. The front portion crashed into the North Sea, and no parachutes were seen. The remainder crashed with the other aircraft.
An air/sea rescue search was made of the area, but no crew members were seen, nor were any bodies recovered.
Both B-17s had nine crew members. All eighteen men were killed.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, NARA, MACR, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census / Utah Military Records, www.newspapers.com - The Sunday Herald
Photo source: Dennis and Gerda Hermsen, The Daily Herald