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Personal info

Full name
DEL TORTO, Joseph Vincent
Date of birth
5 January 1925
Age
20
Place of birth
Wappingers Falls, Dutchess County, New York
Hometown
Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, New York

Military service

Service number
32940850
Rank
Sergeant
Function
unknown
Unit
615th Bombardment Squadron,
401st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
16 February 1945
Place of death
Colenbrander Forest
Hardenberg, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
K 16 8

Immediate family

Members
Tossell Del Torto (father)
Anna Del Torto (mother)
William P. Del Torto (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-97869
Data
Type : B-17G
Nickname : Maid to Order
Destination: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Nordstern benzol plant
MACR : 12444

Biography

http://remember-our-heroes.nl

More information

Joseph Del Torto graduated from Poughkeepsie High School where he played on the football team and was a member of the cheer-leader squad. A member of the St. Peter's Boy Scout troop and the Holy Name society of Mt. Carmel church, Sgt Del Torto was employed at Smith Brothers restaurant.

He enlisted on 13 July 1943. He trained at Scott Field, Arizona, and at Colby College, Nashville, Tennessee.

The aircraft was hit by flak. The right wing was afire and smoking badly. The fire was inside the wing but the plane was under control.

Seven men were definitely seen to get out, all doing delayed jumps.

The plane exploded before Sgt Del Torto was able to get out.

Two crew members were killed, seven survived and were taken prisoner.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record /U.S. School Yearbook, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.newspapers.com - Poughkeepsie Journal

Photo source: Andy Swinnen, www.ancestry.com - School Yearbook 1946 and 1943, www.newspapers.com - Poughkeepsie Journal