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Submit- 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
Personal info
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