Missing information?

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

Submit

Personal info

Full name
ANDREWS, Milford Elvin
Date of birth
1 September 1918
Age
25
Place of birth
Anderson County, Texas
Hometown
Houston, Harris County, Texas

Military service

Service number
38411591
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Assistant Armorer/Left Waist Gunner
Unit
339th Bombardment Squadron,
96th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
12 May 1944
Place of death
Hahnstätten, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
M 3 9

Immediate family

Members
George W. Andrews (father)
Minnie O. (Langston) Andrews (mother)
Mildred E. Andrews (sister)
George A. Andrews (brother)
Elenor J. Andrews (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-97167
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Brux, Czech Republic
Mission: Bombing of the Sudetenlandische-Treibstoffwerke A.G. - hydrogenation plant
MACR: 4858

More information

The airplane was shot down by enemy fighters. Before it crashed, it clipped a rooftop of a hous in the village of Hahnstätten and then plumetted into a hillside about 50 yards further. It burst into flames immediately. Attemps were made to save the crew but extreme heat prevented villagers from getting too close. Instead the villagers waited and, after the bodies were recovered, they were taken to a local churchyard and buried in a common grave. A white marble marker was placed at the gravesite with the numbers of the men, taken from their dog tags. The villagers took care of the grave very well and even placed flowers.

Nine crew members were killed. Only the navigator, Robert Rieckelman, survived and was taken prisoner.

On 5 March 1946, the remains were evacuated to Margraten.

Brux was a German city during the war. Now it is called Most and is situated in the Czech Republic.

S/Sgt Andrew is remembered at the Providence Cemetery in Dialville, Cherokee County, Texas.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - Family Trees, www.fold3.com - MACR

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Debbie Ward