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Personal info

Full name
HILL, Barley Eugene "Snooky"
Date of birth
9 October 1921
Age
22
Place of birth
Montgomery, Montgomery County, Texas
Hometown
Montgomery, Montgomery County, Texas

Military service

Service number
38203503
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Right Waist Gunner
Unit
708th Bombardment Squadron,
447th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
29 April 1944
Place of death
Destedt, 7 miles east of Braunschweig, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
N 18 17

Immediate family

Members
Barley W. Hill (father)
Carrie S. (Overbay) Hill (mother)
Lee A. Hill (brother)
Dorothy S. Hill (sister)
Cuba M. Hill (sister)
Mary S. Hill (sister)
Gladys A. Hill (sister)
Edith P. Hill (sister)
Henrietta Hill (sister)
Mildred R. Hill (sister)
August D. Hill (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31144
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Rowdy Rebel
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the city
MACR: 4247

More information

S/Sgt Barley E. Hill was a farmer.

He enlisted in Houston, Texas, on 14 July 1942.

The airplane was attacked by enemy fighters and knocked out of formation. It was then attacked again and last seen diving into cloud cover, still under control, but engine #2 was smoking. Three parachutes were observed.

One crew member survived and was wounded. He was taken prisoner and transported to the hospital in Braunschweig. Nine crew members were killed. They were initially buried at the village cemetery of Destedt on 30 April 1944.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Arthur Jansen, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, aad.archives.gov, www.8thafhs.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - 1940 Census / Family Tree, WWII Draft Cards

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Harry Horsch