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Personal info

Full name
FRITZINGER, Raymond W
Date of birth
22 December 1917
Age
26
Place of birth
Walnutport, Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Hometown
Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania

Military service

Service number
33481601
Rank
Sergeant
Function
Left Waist Gunner
Unit
614th Bombardment Squadron,
401st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Missing in Action
Date of death
4 February 1944
Place of death
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Wilson A. Fritzinger (father)
Anne M. Fritzinger (mother)
Paul W.G. Fritzinger (brother)
Ethel L. (Wright) Fritzinger (wife)
Darryl R. Fritzinger (son)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31036
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Nobody´s Baby
Destination: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the railroad yards
MACR: 2285

Biography

www.remember-our-heroes.nl

More information

Sgt Raymond W. Fritzinger attended high school for 1 year and was a mechanic at the Fritzinger garage in Walnutport. He enlisted in Allentown, Pennsylvania on 10 November 1942. He received basic training at Miami Beach, Florida, was then sent to a mechanics school in Amarillo, Texas, then sent to gunnery school at Las Vegas, Nevada. He received further training at an Army school in the state of Washington, spent a few weeks in Nebraska and in November of 1943 was sent overseas.

Sgt Fritzinger was married to the former Ethel Wright. He was the father of a 2 year old son Darryl.

The aircraft was apparently hit by flak, was straggling some 4,000 feet lower than the formation (about 18,000 feet). All four engines were turning over and the aircraft seemed to be under control. Flak was bursting around it when it was last seen.

The entire crew of 10 men was killed. Eight of them are remembered at the Walls of the Missing at Margraten; Two, Frank J. Zitkovic and Bascom O. Clifton, are remembered at the Walls of the Missing at Cambridge Cemetery.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com Kresge Zimmerman Family Tree / Veteran Compensation Application File, www.newspapers.com - The Morning Call

Photo source: www.wwiimemorial.com, Peter Schouteten, Andy Swinnen