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Submit- Full
name
EDLMANN, Walter Charles - Date of
birth
9 March 1924 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Antioch, Lake County, Illinois -
Hometown
Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
16100488 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Right Waist Gunner -
Unit
548th Bombardment Squadron,
385th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
28 July 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, off Heligoland, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 38 | 14 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Simon Edlmann (father)
Maire (Weiner) Edlmann (mother)
Anna Edlmann (sister)
Herman Edlmann (brother)
Margaret Edlmann (sister)
Elizabeth Edlmann (sister)
Simon Edlmann (brother)
Frieda Edlmann (sister)
Veleda Edlmann (sister)
Freya Edlmann (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30257 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Lady Susie II
Destination: Oschersleben, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Focke Wulf aviation industry
MACR: 189
More information
Sgt Walter C. Edlmann attended Antioch High School.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Chicago, Illinois on 14 August 1942.
Airplane 42-30257, 42-3316 and 42-30285 were flying in an echelon on a combat mission. Off Heligoland, at a time when visibility was poor, ship 30257 was struck by flak at a point in the fuselage about where the Navigator sits. Part of the fuselage was blown away, and the plane was thrown up into ship 42-3316. These two planes locked together for probably 30 seconds and fell into ship 42-30285. All went down together and blew up.
Of the crew of ten, seven were killed in the crash and three survived. T/Sgt Joseph D. McGarry bailed out and was taken prisoner but was killed the same day according to the available records.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com, WWII Draft Card, 1930 US Census
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Antioch High School 1940