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Personal info

Full name
OSMER, Miles William "Bud"
Date of birth
8 August 1919
Age
25
Place of birth
Warnego, Pottawatomie County, Kansas
Hometown
Sacramento, Sacramento County, California

Military service

Service number
O-771512
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
551st Bombardment Squadron,
385th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
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 Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 13 2

Immediate family

Members
Alfred M. Osmer (father)
Victoria Osmer (mother)
Helen D. Osmer (sister)
Geraldine P. Osmer (sister)
Mary E. Osmer (sister)
Kathryn Osmer (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-98010
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the industrial area
MACR: 9523

More information

Miles Osmer was a shipping and receiving clerk before he enlisted in Sacramento, California on 23 November 1942.

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: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Darnielle Burt - Curator Traveling Military Museum - Brightwood, Oregon