Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
WRIGHT, Orvil Eugene - Date of
birth
24 September 1917 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California -
Hometown
Compton, Los Angeles County, California
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
19100846 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
551st Bombardment Squadron,
385th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
6 October 1944 - Place of
death
500 m west of Liepe, 24 km north of Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Eugene C. Wright (father)
Ann D. Wright (mother)
Edna M. Wright (sister)
Vivian Wright (sister)
Elizabeth Wright (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-98010 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the industrial area
MACR: 9523
More information
Orvil Wright attended college and was a metal worker.He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve at Santa Ana Army Airbase on 12 February 1943.
At 1207 hours, at the I.P., enemy fighters attacked in mass formation from the rear and above, coming out of the clouds. The first attack reduced the Group strength to 2 B-17s (which two is undetermined). The fighters then returned and in another mass attack, using the same tactics, shot down the remaining two. Attacks were very aggressive and sudden.
No exact information of the attack is available because no B-17 of the Group concerned returned.
Only one crew member survived and was taken prisoner. Eight men were killed. They were initially buried at the community cemetery of Liepe on 8 October 1944.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Carla Mans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men
Photo source: Peter Schouteten