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Submit- Full
name
FUERTH, William Joseph - Date of
birth
23 November 1921 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania -
Hometown
Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-717582 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
551st Bombardment Squadron,
385th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
29 July 1944 - Place of
death
100 meters north of Bundorf, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Henri-Chapelle - Tablets of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
William Fuerth (father)
Mamie Fuerth (mother)
Dorothy J. Fuerth (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-38146 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Merseburg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Leuna synthetic oil refinery
MACR: 7323
More information
William Fuerth attended college for one year.He enlisted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 20 June 1942.
According to crew members of other B-17s in the group, this airplane had fallen out of its position and descended. All engines were turning, but there was a fire coming out of the bomb bay and the nose of the cockpit had been shot out. This happened just at "bombs away" after it was hit under the wing by flak. Shortly after, the airplane exploded in midair.
None of the crew members bailed out. All were found at the crash point. Of the nine crew members, four could not be identified.
They were initially interred at the cemeteries of Bundorf and Blösien, Germany
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, www.fold3.com
Photo source: FOHF, www.americanairmuseum.com