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name
SPINDLER, William Howard - Date of
birth
15 February 1924 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Scarsdale, Westchester County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
12086916 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Tail Turret Gunner -
Unit
836th Bombardment Squadron,
487th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
23 June 1944 - Place of
death
Rue de Paloke
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 40 | 10 |
Immediate family
-
Members
William R. Spindler (father)
Carol H. (Denning) Spindler (mother)
Martha (Brown) Spindler (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-28822 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Nickname: Bashful Marion
Destination: Juvincourt, France
Mission: Bombing of the airfield
MACR: 6263
More information
William H. Spindler graduated from Scarsdale High School in June 1942, and was accepted to attend Colgate University in the Fall, but gave that up to serve his country.He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in New York City, New York on 27 June 1942.
According to eye witness reports from crew members of other airplanes in the group, this B-24 was hit by flak southwest of Brussels and disintegrated in the air. Not one of the nine crew members had the chance to bail out and packed parachutes and other flying equipment were seen to fall out of the plane as it exploded. It fell in peaces near a hospice in Rue du Paloke, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean
He was initially buried at the cemetery of Evere, Belgium.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Martha (Brown) Spindler (sister), Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR 6263, www.findagrave.com - Paul Webber, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Dave Steigerwald, www.findagrave.com - Paul Webber