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Personal info

Full name
FECHO, Joseph
Date of birth
7 November 1916
Age
27
Place of birth
Mahanoy City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Hometown
Yonkers, Westchester County, New York

Military service

Service number
32334948
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Right Waist Gunner
Unit
535th Bombardment Squadron,
381st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
20 December 1943
Place of death
Oldenburg, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 13 6

Immediate family

Members
Stephen Fecho (father)
Mary Fecho (mother)
Stephen Fecho (brother)
John Fecho (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-5846
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Tinker Toy
Destination: Bremen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the port
MACR: 1723

More information

S/Sgt Joseph Fecho worked in a textile factory.

He enlisted at Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York on 12 May 1942.

Statement from Herbert J. Burgasser;
"I was flying in the Ball Turret position of ship no. 42-30765, in which Lt Emil Urban was the pilot, when I saw ship no. 42-5846 go down over the target. It was out of control and spinning down in flames when I last saw it, and at this time no fighters were attacking it. I was in the ship that was flying in the #2 position, second element, low squadron of the low group. Ship 42-5846 was in the same element, #3 position."

Statement from 2nd Lt Emil L. Urban;
"I was the pilot of A/C no. 42-30765, which was flying in the No. 2 position. At approximately the time of the bomb run, which was about 1147, fighters jumped us from the direction of 11 o'clock. One of the fighters rammed B-17F A/C no. 42-5846 which was flying in the #3 position. It was under control for about a minute then flipped over on its back and went into a spin."

Seven crew members were killed, three were taken prisoner.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten,Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Jac Engels, Michel Beckers