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name
BEISEKER, Marvin Henry Jr - Date of
birth
31 December 1921 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Galveston, Galveston County, Texas -
Hometown
Dallas County, Texas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-727077 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Bombardier -
Unit
323rd Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
4 February 1943 - Place of
death
Pole 7 on the beach
Terschelling, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| O | 9 | 10 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Marvin H. Beiseker Sr. (father)
Maude (Parsons) Beiseker (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
41-24589 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Texas Bronco
Destination: Hamm, Germany
MACR: 15124
More information
1st Lt Marvin H. Beiseker graduated from Adamson High School in 1940 and attended the University of Texas.It was nr. 41-24589 ‘Texas Bronco’ of the 91st Bomb Group. The plane had been part of a group of 86 bomber aircrafts, that were set out for an attack in daylight on the German industrial city of Hamm in Nordrhein-Westfalen.
The group had left at 09.07 h. from a British airfield. The bombardment should take place at about 11.45 h. They flew over the island of Vlieland, over Workum and the south east part of the province of Drenthe to Germany. Through a coded message from England the commendants heard that the target area was overcasted totally, so they decided to attack a secondairy target, the harbourcity of Emden.
At about 12.30h. the 41-24589 was gone from the formation. This aircraft was flown by captain Eugene B. Ellis. After the attack on Germany, it had been damaged a bit. One of the engines was hit and gone crazy and one wing was torn apart. This was the cause for the plane to get behind with the formation.
The plane was spotted by five German Messerschmidts and they started to attack it. Ellis made the plane go down a bit into the clouds, but immediately there was ice on the plane, causing a delay in the speed. The captain decided to fly as low as possible underneath the clouds and try to get to England. The five German planes did the same thing, however, and attacked again.
From the American plane, two of the German planes were shut down. Again two engines were hit. Ellis decided to do an emergency landing on the first island in sight, which happened to be Terschelling. Meanwhile the three remaining German planes kept firing and killed bomber lieutenant Marvin H. Beisiker and radio man sergeant Michael LaMedica got fatally wounded.
The landing was a success, but when the survivors tried to get the dead and the wounded man out of the burning plane, they were surrounded by German soldiers. The remaining eight crewmembers of the ‘Texas Bronco’ became prisoners of war.
1st Lt Marvin H. Beiseker Jr. was buried on Terschelling by the Germans with military honor.
Source of information: Ron Raaijmakers, Terry Hirsch, MACR, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records / Texas County Marriage Index, https://growingbolder.com/obj/print.php?objId=294790
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.91stbombgroup.com, www.ancestry.com - Adamson High School yearbook 1940