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Personal info

Full name
FITZER, Homer David
Date of birth
27 April 1915
Age
28
Place of birth
Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona
Hometown
Signal Hill, Los Angeles County, California

Military service

Service number
O-736500
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
423rd Bombardment Squadron,
306th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
14 October 1943
Place of death
Wegnez-Bilstain, Belgium

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
A 38 37

Immediate family

Members
John E. Fitzer (father)
Harriet G. Fitzer (mother)
George E. Fitzer (brother)
John L. Fitzer (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-30813
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Queen Jeannie
Destination: Schweinfurt, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the ball bearing plants
MACR: 820

More information

Homer Fitzer was a policeman.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Los Angeles, California on 20 March 1942

The airplane was attacked by German fighters. Controle cables were destroyed which made flying the airplane very hard.

Five crew members survived and were taken prisoner, five men were killed.

This was the first mission of Lt Fitzer.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Alain Rosseels, Arie-Jan van Hees - Pilot Class Book 43-A, Pecos Texas / Pilot 43-A Gibbs Field Texas