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name
CASTLE, Francis Edwin "Eddie" - Date of
birth
28 January 1912 -
Age
31 - Place of
birth
Morganville, Genesee County, New York -
Hometown
Le Roy, Genesee County, New York
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
32548337 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
332nd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart
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 |
|---|---|---|
| H | 1 | 22 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Oliver L. Castle (father)
Harriet (Boatfield) Castle (mother)
Amy B. Castle (sister)
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
Sgt Francis E. Castle graduated from Le Roy High School and worked in the fabrication of plastic products.He enlisted in Rochester, New York on 23 October 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 mout 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 fout men were buried. This was on 23 December 1943.
He was disinterred by the 3059th QM Graves Registration Company and evacuated to Margraten where he was buried in a temporary grave on 19 November 1945. After being disinterred a second time and after the cemetery was given a permanent status, he was given his final resting place in February 1949.
This was his third mission.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.ancestry.com, LeRoy Gazette 24 June 1943, IDPF
Photo source: Michel Beckers, High School Yearbook, Arie-Jan van Hees - Amarillo AAF, Texas, Gold Star Memorial Book - Genesee County, NY