Missing information?

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

Submit

Personal info

Full name
HELINE, Carl W
Date of birth
8 April 1922
Age
22
Place of birth
Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa
Hometown
Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa

Military service

Service number
O-721070
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
557th Bombardment Squadron,
387th Bombardment Group, Medium
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Finding of Death
Date of death
14 February 1945
Place of death
North of Rengsdorf, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
J 2 16

Immediate family

Members
Oscar C. Heline (father)
Mabel Heline (mother)
John Heline (brother)
Halegon Heline (sister)
Nancy Heline (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
41-31710
Data
Type: B-26B-20-MA
Nickname: General Sherman
Destination: Engers, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Engers-Urmitz railroad bridge
MACR: 12341

More information

2nd Lt Carl W. Heline attended collegeand was a farmer.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Omaha, Nebraska on 3 October 1942.

After the bombs were dropped, the airplane was hit by flak wich sets an engine on fire. The three crew members in the rear of the plane bailed out by the right waist window. The plane dived, spinned, the pilot then regained control and the fire went out. The bombardier/navigator helped 2nd Lt Heline to get free and they both bailed out of the bomb bay. The pilot stayed with the plane and it spined again. He regained controle enough to make a forced landing in a field on the South edge of Engerser Feld. The entire crew survived and was taken prisoner.

2nd Lt Heline hit the ground North of Rengsdorf and was captured by SS troops. They took him to a forest nearby and executed him. His status stayed Missing in Action for a year. He was initially buried at the church cemetery of Rengsdorf for 15 months.

This is contradicted by a German record of 17 February 1945 that states that one crew member was found in the plane, completely burned. As the other crew members all survived, the crew member mentioned must have been 2nd Lt Heline.

Several crew members however stated when they returned to the United States after the war that they were certain 2nd Lt Heline left the plane so this German record must be false.

The last picture of his grave marker was taken by family members who visited his grave during Memorial Day in May 2017.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, H.G. Blezer, Peter Schouteten, Matthew Botkin, Personal family files and letters, www.fold3.com - MACR

Photo source: Family Heline, Matthew Botkin, Peter Schouteten