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name
STEINMANN, Bill - Date of
birth
25 September 1922 -
Age
21 -
Place of birth
The Bronx, Bronx County, New York City, New York -
Hometown
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York City, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
12083516 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Tail Turret Gunner -
Unit
701st Bombardment Squadron,
445th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 February 1944 - Place of
death
South of Gotha in vicinity of Hersfeld, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| P | 8 | 7 |
Immediate family
-
Members
William Steinmann (father)
Delia (Murphy) Steinmann (mother)
Charlotte F. Steinmann (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-7515 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname aircraft: 'Green Gremlin'
Destination: Gotha, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the German Gotha twin engine aircraft factory
MACR: 2550
More information
Enemy fire had blasted the tail turret.Bill didn´t bail out. He never responded to the order to prepare to bail out. A rocket hit their rudder and blew half of it off. The crew never heard from Bill after that attack. According to the waist gunner, S/Sgt Steinmann was either unconscious or dead. There was blood smeared all over the turret. The waist gunner couldn´t investigate because they were under attack for two and a half hours. All other crew members bailed out and landed safely.
He was initially buried at the cemetery of Soisdorf, Germany.
According to his family, his surname was not Bill but William.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com MACR, New York, New York Birth Index.
Photo source: Peter Schouteten / Photographs of William Steinmann were provided via Robert Baumgardner by his niece, Deanna Gautsche Bullock, the daughter of his sister, Charlotte, with the help of Deanna’s son, Jeff Skrypec. As a child growing up in Brooklyn, Deanna knew William, who was 16 years older than she.