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name
SELL, Raymond Harrison - Date of
birth
13 April 1917 -
Age
26 - Place of
birth
Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
12123044 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
323rd Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
27 September 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, off the coast of Langeoog Island, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Allen G. Sell (father)
Anna Sell (mother)
Allen Sell (brother)
Pauline Sell (sister)
Wilmer Sell (brother)
Richard Sell (brother)
Grace W. (Kerschner) Sell (wife)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-29750 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Rebel's Revenge
Destination: Emden, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat base
MACR: 668
More information
S/Sgt Raymond H. Sell attended Bethlehem High School and was employed by the Bethlehem Steel Co.He volunteered for the Army of the United States in New York City, New York on 22 July 1942. He was graduated from the Air Forces Training School at Buckley Field, Colorado and from the Gunners' School at Kingman, Arizona.
At approximately 1010 hours, 24,000 feet, just after leaving the target, the airplane was seen with an engine on fire. It left the formation and was seen to drop its bombs. It was last seen heading down in a dive.
Two crew members survived the crash: 2nd Lt Richard F. Hull and T/Sgt Edgar G. Fetty and were taken prisoner. The bodies of two other crew members, 2nd Lt John M. Perritt and 2nd Lt Frank O. Rolfe, washed ashore and were initially interred at Langeoog Cemetery Duenenfriedhof.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR / WWII Draft Card, www.ancestry.com - Veteran Compensation Application File, www.newspapers.com - The Morning Call
Photo source: The Bethlehem Globe - courtesy of John Sise