Missing information?

Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?

Submit

Personal info

Full name
DIENES, Tony Eugene
Date of birth
24 February 1919
Age
24
Place of birth
Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio
Hometown
Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio

Military service

Service number
35407658
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Right Waist Gunner
Unit
364th Bombardment Squadron,
305th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
14 October 1943
Place of death
Bosscherveld, near Maastricht, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
K 8 20

Immediate family

Members
Geza Dienes (father)
Anna H. (Zorny) Dienes (mother)
Louise A. Dienes (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-29952
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Sizzle
Destination: Schweinfurt, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the ball bearing plant
MACR: 917

More information

Tony Dienes graduated from South High School in 1937.

S/Sgt Dienes was hit by 20mm bullet and wounded. Sgt Levy gave him aid. In doing so, he unplugged from interphone and throat microphone and missed the order from the pilot to bail out. Seeing the ball turret operator and radio operator advancing to the door, he asked what was happening and received answer to get out. The last witnesses saw was a ball of flame which he thought was the plane who blew up.

The airplane was shot down by enemy fighter planes. Five crew members survived and were taken prisoner, five men were killed.

S/Sgt Dienes was initially buried at the cemetery of Maastricht. After being disinterred, his remainswere reburied in a temporary grave at Margraten on 11 July 1945. After being disinterred from this temporary grave on 24 August 1948, he was given his final resting place on 18 February 1949.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.fold3.com - MACR, IDPF

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Columbus Library - Columbus Evening Dispatch - 25 January 1944