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Personal info

Full name
STACY, Joseph Gerald "Joe"
Date of birth
19 March 1924
Age
20
Place of birth
Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois
Hometown
Peoria County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
O-558541
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
407th Bombardment Squadron,
92nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
11 September 1944
Place of death
Near Frommstedt, 30 Km SW of Sangerhausen, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
D 13 7

Immediate family

Members
Charles Stacy (father)
Marie (Volz) Stacy (mother)
Charles J. Stacy (brother)
Edward R. Stacy (brother)
Mary Stacy (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31687
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Wabbit
Destination: Labejum, Germany
Mission: Bombing
MACR: 8883

More information

2nd Lt Joseph G. Stacy attended high school for four years and was employed at Gipps Brewery.
He enlisted in the U. S. Army Air Corps Air Corps on 30 October 1942 at Peoria, Illinois.
This Combat Bomb Wing was first attacked by enemy aircraft before, during and after bombs away. In the process of making a second run on the primary target the formation became loose. The enemy aircraft attacks further broke up the formation. Just at bombs away approximately 15 enemy aircraft identified as mixed FW 190´s and ME 109´s jumped the lead group. Attacks by these enemy aircraft were in elements of 3 abreast from 6 o´clock level to high firing 20mm shells. These attacks lasted about 10-15 minutes. On passing this group they looped and dived down on the low group. Seven enemy aircraft dived on the low group from 7 o´clock high making one pass in echelons before breaking off their attack. The high group was not attacked until immediately before the rally point at 1215 hours.

Lt Stacy was last seen alive as he left the cockpit to bail out. Apparently he was killed as the ship exploded. He was blown free of the ship but he never recovered consciousness to use his parachute. His body was shown to 2nd Lt Thomas A. Andrew by the Germans who captured him.

Lt Stacy was initially buried on 12 September 1944 in the cemetery at Frommstedt, Germany.

Source of information: Astrid van Erp, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com MACR, www.ancestry.com Stacy Family Tree, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: www.ancestry.com Stacy Family Tree, www.findagrave.com, Des Philippet, Arie-Jan van Hees, Pilot Class Book 44-D, Ellington Field, Texas