Memorial

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Jacob Giel was a clerk.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Chicago, Illinois, on 7 October 1942.

Statement of 1st Lt William W. Gruber, who flew in the same mission: "I last saw 2nd Lt Jacob F. Giel, about 15 miles North of Terschelling Island.
We were on the way home, after having escorted the bombers to Kiel, Germany. I was Dollar Leader in Red Flight. When Dollar Red Two called that he was dropping his wing tanks, white flight – a little behind – hurriedly pulled up. Lt Giel, flying White Two position, then suffered a rare but unfortunate accident. One of the wing tanks hit his right wing tip with tremendous force. His whole plane shuddered and seemed to stop. Then he went through two snap rolls, leveled out, and gradually to climb into formation. I glanced away for a moment or two, and when I looked back, Lt Giel wasn't around. I called for him over the R/T, but received no reply. Red Flight immediately went below the cloud layer and searched the area, but we spotted nothing but a large oil slick.
Another pilot in Red Flight, Lt Caster, claims that he saw Lt Giel spinning to the left, going into a cloud layer at around 12,000 Feet. Lt Shea, Dollar Red Four, also witnessed Lt Giel's right wing tip come off and saw his ship go into a spin through the overcast."