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name
BILSTIN, Leon "Nobby" - Date of
birth
23 January 1918 -
Age
26 - Place of
birth
Yonkers, Queens County, New York -
Hometown
Greene County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-024834 -
Rank
Captain -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
378th Fighter Squadron,
362nd Fighter Group
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
28 September 1944 - Place of
death
Einsiedlerhof, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Emil Bilstin (father)
Marie Bilstin (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-28359 -
Data
Type: P-47D-25
Destination: Kaiserslautern, Germany
Mission: Strafing of the marshalling yards
MACR: 9285
More information
Leon Billstin's father immigrated from Alsace-Lorraine, France and his mother was born in Piedmont, Italy.He graduated from Mount Vernon High School and entered West Point Military Academy.
On September 28, 1944, Capt Bilstin led his squadron of P-47 Thunderbolts on a dive-bombing mission against the strategic rail switch yards at Kaiserslautern, Germany. His plane was in a dive on the target at 4:25 PM. Suddenly, his plane was struck by 20 millimeter flak - his ship continued in its almost perpendicular dive until it crashed into a freight car in the rail yards and exploded with terrific force.
Statement from 2nd Lt Arthur L. Staples:
"On Sept 28, 1944, firebrick squadron was on an armed recce in Germany. Capt. Bilstin was red one, and I was flying red three, when we dive bombed the M/Y three miles west of Kaiserslautern. I saw red one go down on his bomb run, his bombs hit the target, and he pulled out low on the tracks going toward the town. There was a big explosion and flame on the tracks."
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.findagrave.com - John Dowdy, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record, www.fold3.com - MACR, Jack Solomon - U.S.M.A, West Point
Photo source: Jackie Hays, Jack Solomon - U.S.M.A, West Point, Arie-Jan van Hees - Pilot 42-K, Luke Field, Arizona