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name
STEGINK, Lyle Everett - Date of
birth
24 January 1923 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Kansas -
Hometown
Waco, Jasper County, Missouri
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-778996 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Co-Pilot -
Unit
773rd Bombardment Squadron,
463rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
20 March 1945 - Place of
death
Mühlleiten, Vienna, Austria
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 40 | 15 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Garrett Stegink (father)
Eva S. (Goheen) Stegink (mother)
Arlis F. Stegink (brother)
Gerald A. Stegink (brother)
Elvina Stegink (sister)
Wanda Stegink (sister)
Nolan Stegink (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
44-6421 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Kagran, Vienna, Austria
Mission: Bombing of the oil refinery
MACR: 13052
More information
Lyle Stegink attended Carl Junction High School in Carl Junction, Missouri.The airplane was hit by flak and was last seen in the bomb run when the #1 engine started to flame. The pilot put it into a steep right dive. When they were in a cloud, witnesses saw an explosion through the mist.
Four crew members survived and were taken prisoner. Six were killed, of whom five were initially buried in a common grave at the community cemetery of Mühlleiten, Vienna, on 27 March 1945. The remains of S/Sgt William B. Wallace weren't found right after the crash but were later recovered. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.newspapers.com - Joplin Globe, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census / Family Trees
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.ancestry.com - Carl Junction High School yearbook 1943