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name
LANDIS, Sidney Ross - Date of
birth
25 October 1923 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Falling Waters, Berkeley County, West Virginia -
Hometown
Wayne County, Michigan
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
16149949 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Ball Turret Gunner -
Unit
332nd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
11 December 1943 - Place of
death
The flats near Oudeschip, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 13 | 1 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Arthur B. Landis (father)
Edna K. (Drake) Landis (mother)
Edgar R. Ripple (stepbrother)
Maxine L. Landis (sister)
Joseph H. Landis (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-39859 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Sweet Sue aka Miss Mary
Destination: Emden, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the industrial area
MACR: 1258
More information
Sidney R. Landis attended Martinsburg High School and was a power station operator.He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Detroit, Michigan on 9 November 1942.
The airplane was attacked by enemy aircraft. It was hit in the tail section and #1 engine. The airplane went into a spin when the wing blew off. Six crew members bailed out and were taken prisoner, four men were killed.
According to a statement of a Dutch civilian, K. Steenhuis, he discovered the airplane two weeks after it crashed. The reason it wasn't found earlier was because of a storm. He found four bodies an carried them to the cemetery of Uithuizermeeden. When the Germans arrived at the cemetery, the remains of all four men were buried. This was on 23 December 1943.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Kathy McDermott, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Family Tree / U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, www.fold3.com - MACR, IDPF of Francis E. Castle
Photo source: Michel Beckers, www.ancestry.com - Martinsburg High School Yearbook 1941, Young American Patriots, National Publishing Company