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Personal info

Full name
ALEXANDER, Bruce C
Date of birth
10 January 1922
Age
22
Place of birth
Orange County, California
Hometown
Anaheim, Orange County, California

Military service

Service number
O-760522
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
833rd Bombardment Squadron,
486th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Missing in Action
Date of death
6 December 1944
Place of death
About 100 yards off the end of the breakwater
North Sea, off the coast of IJmuiden, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing

Immediate family

Members
Georg Alexander (father)
Edith Alexander (mother)
Paul J. Alexander (brother)
Chyllie V. Alexander (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
43-37927
Data
Type: B17-G
Nickname: The Last Roundup
Destination: Merseberg, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the oil refinery
MACR: 11048

More information

Bruce C. Alexander graduated from Anaheim High School in 1939 where he participated in the orchestra and served as a photographer for the yearbook. He worked in the photography field before joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve on 8 February 1943 at Santa Ana, California.

According to Capt. Smith of the 78th Fighter Group, one of the escorting fighterpilots, #1 and #2 engines already went out over the target, due to flak hits. The B-17 was escorted back with an escort of six fighters. It headed for a flak area at IJmuiden, the Netherlands. The fighters tried to contact the B-17 on VHF but there was no answer. Then they tried to signal him visually but withour any luck. It went trough the flak area and had #3 and #4 engines shot out and catching fire. The right wing fell off and the plane went down in flames. It was seen to explode as it hit the water at about 100 yards off the end of the breakwater at IJmuiden.

Although three parachutes were seen, nine crew members were killed and only one man survived and was taken prisoner.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, Carla Mans, www.486th.org,
www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - California Birth Index / Anaheim High School Yearbook 1939

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.ancestry.com - Anaheim High School Yearbook 1939, Santa Ana Register September 1945