William C Eckerle – Engineer/Top Turret

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Personal information:

WILLIAM  (Bill) C ECKERLE

Date of Birth: November 15, 1925

Catholic

Hometown, Mahoning County, Ohio

Address during WWII: 216 East Ravenswood (Avenue/)Street,Youngstown5,Ohio

Family:

Father: Herman A. Eckerle, 216 East Ravenswood (Avenue/)Street,Youngstown5,Ohio(died: January 4, 1954)

Mother: Hilda Marie Zuecher Eckerle, 216 East Ravenswood (Avenue/)Street,Youngstown5,Ohio(born: June 2,1893 inBeally,Pennsylvania./ death: July 29, 1984 / daughter of Clement and Clara Geiger Zuecher)

Mother and father did marry on June 11, 1916

2 sisters: Beverly L. Eckerle Will’s (born: March 12, 1922) (Son: Ted Wills; I have contact with Ted since 2007), Shirlee A. Eckerle Marsico (born: August 19, 1934 / Death: June 22, 2005)

 

Training:

Date of entry on current active service: August 2, 1943

Dental charts:

  • ..
  • September 12, 1944: AAF Station 142APO559

 

Training bases:

  • November 29, 1943 – January 27, 1944 : ….. Bv.., Al…
  • February 4, 1944 – February 22, 1944 : AA …….Field,Texas
  • February 28, 1944 – April 24, 1944 : AAF …..
  • April 26, 1944 – June 10, 1944 : CAR POOL (???) ….
  • June .., 1944 – August 22, 1944 : AAF Sioux City, …

 

Unit:

crew # 30 Gaik, 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bombardment Group, Heavy, 8th Air Force (USAAF)

ASN: 15127428

Staff Sergeant, Engineer/Top Turret

Missions:

21 missions: all with crew # 30 Gaik

 

            Position    Crew #  Date     AC serial #  Mission      Target

1 Engineer/Top Turret 30 440930 2107010 197 Bielefeld,Germany
2 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441002 2107010 198 Kassel,Germany
3 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441003 2107010 199 Nagoid-Rheinau,Germany
4 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441006 338053 201 Berlin-Spandau,Germany
5 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441019 338053 207 Mannhein,Germany
6 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441022 239926 208 Munster,Germany
7 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441102 338053 213 Merseburg,Germany
8 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441104 46121 214 Neunkirchen,.Germany
9 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441116 2102967 218 Durenarea,Germany
10 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441204 297846 224 Friedburg,Germany
11 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441210 48306 225 Koblenz,Germany
12 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441212 338393 227 Darmstadt,Germany
13 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441224 237723 229 Zellhausen,Germany
14 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441228 46121 232 Koblenz,Germany
15 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441230 46121 234 Kassel,Germany
16 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441231 46121 235 Hamburg,Germany
17 Engineer/Top Turret 30 450105 338837 238 Frankfurt,Germany
18 Engineer/Top Turret 30 450120 46121 246 Heilbronn,Germany
19 Engineer/Top Turret 30 450201 338393 250 Wesel,Germany
20 Engineer/Top Turret 30 450206 339079 252 Chemnitz,Germany
21 Engineer/Top Turret KIA 30 450214 339079 254 Cheb,Czechoslovakia
MIA/KIA/SURVIVED:

MIA: February 14, 1945

Officially KIA reported on: August 31, 1945

KIA on Wednesday February 14, 1945 (14.29 hour?): missions 21 to Cheb, Csechoslovakia, mission # 254 (Target: Airbase / detachment Gelmhausen)

MACR # 12350

Cause of death: The characteristics of the fractures of both femurs, pelvic structure and the base of the skull indicate that the decedent had parachuted and that he collided with the earth stiff legged. Eyewitnesses reported 3 parachutes after the aircraft broke in two; only 2 parachutes were open!

Buried atCivilianCemeteryinKettenbach,GermanyFebruary 17, 1945 (Grave 2-8) (Unknown X-7401)

Awards: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

 

After the War:

Reburied at American Cemetery and Memorial Margraten, The Netherlands on March 5, 1946

First: XX-12-298 / now: J-17-18

Identification was completed very late (1951) The father couldn’t and wouldn’t believe till 1951 the remains out of the correspondence were of his son.

Biography:

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Persoonsgegevens:

WILLIAM  (Bill) C ECKERLE

Geboortedatum: 15 november, 1925

Katholiek

Mahoning County, Ohio

Adres tijdens WO2: 216 East Ravenswood (Avenue/)Street,Youngstown5,Ohio

Familie:

Vader: Herman A. Eckerle, 216 East Ravenswood (Avenue/)Street,Youngstown5,Ohio(gestorven: 4 januari, 1954)

Moeder: Hilda Marie Zuecher Eckerle, 216 East Ravenswood (Avenue/)Street,Youngstown5,Ohio(geboren: 2 juni,1893 inBeally,Pennsylvania./ gestorven: 29 juli, 1984 / dochter van Clement en Clara Geiger Zuecher)

Moeder en vader trouwden op 11 juni 1916

2 zussen: Beverly L. Eckerle Will’s (geboren: 12 maart, 1922) (Zoon: Ted Wills; ik heb contact met Ted sinds 2007), Shirlee A. Eckerle Marsico (geboren: 19 augustus, 1934 / gestorven: 22 juni, 2005)

 

Training:

Datum van inzet in actieve dienst: 2 augustus, 1943

Tandheelkundige kaarten in IPDF:

  • ..
  • 12 september, 1944: AAF Station 142APO559

 

Lijst met kazernes waar hij gestationeerd was in de U.S. voorafgaande aan de overzeese inzet:

  • 29 november, 1943 – 27 januari, 1944 : ….. Bv.., Al…
  • 4 februari, 1944 – 22 februari, 1944 : AA …….Field,Texas
  • 28 februari, 1944 – 24 april, 1944 : AAF …..
  • 26 april, 1944 – 10 juni, 1944 : CAR POOL (???) ….
  • …jun, 1944 – 22 augustus, 1944 : AAF Sioux City, …

 

Eenheid:

crew # 30 Gaik, 569th Bomber Squadron, 390th Bombardment Group, Heavy, 8th Air Force (USAAF)

ASN: 15127428

Staff Sergeant, Engineer/Top Turret

Missies:

21 missies: allemaal met crew # 30 Gaik

 

            Position      Crew #  Date     AC serial #  Mission      Target

1 Engineer/Top Turret 30 440930 2107010 197 Bielefeld,Germany
2 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441002 2107010 198 Kassel,Germany
3 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441003 2107010 199 Nagoid-Rheinau,Germany
4 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441006 338053 201 Berlin-Spandau,Germany
5 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441019 338053 207 Mannhein,Germany
6 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441022 239926 208 Munster,Germany
7 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441102 338053 213 Merseburg,Germany
8 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441104 46121 214 Neunkirchen,.Germany
9 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441116 2102967 218 Durenarea,Germany
10 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441204 297846 224 Friedburg,Germany
11 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441210 48306 225 Koblenz,Germany
12 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441212 338393 227 Darmstadt,Germany
13 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441224 237723 229 Zellhausen,Germany
14 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441228 46121 232 Koblenz,Germany
15 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441230 46121 234 Kassel,Germany
16 Engineer/Top Turret 30 441231 46121 235 Hamburg,Germany
17 Engineer/Top Turret 30 450105 338837 238 Frankfurt,Germany
18 Engineer/Top Turret 30 450120 46121 246 Heilbronn,Germany
19 Engineer/Top Turret 30 450201 338393 250 Wesel,Germany
20 Engineer/Top Turret 30 450206 339079 252 Chemnitz,Germany
21 Engineer/Top Turret KIA 30 450214 339079 254 Cheb,Czechoslovakia
MIA/KIA/OVERLEEFD:

MIA: 14 februari, 1945

Officieel KIA gemeld op: 31 augustus, 1945

KIA op woensdag 14 februari, 1945 (14.29 uur?): missie 21 naar Cheb, Tsjecho-Slowakije (nu Tsjechië), missie # 254 (Doelwit: Luchthaven / departement Gelmhausen)

MACR # 12350 (Missing Air Crew Report)

Doodsoorzaak: De kenmerken van de breuken van beide dijbenen, bekkenstructuur en schedelbasis duiden op het feit dat de overledene met parachute tijdens de landing zeer hard de grond heft geraakt met stijve benen. Getuigenverklaringen geven ook melding van 3 parachutes nadat het vliegtuig in tweeën brak; echter slechts 2 parachutes waren geopend!

Begraven op de burgerkerkhof in Kettenbach,Duitsland op 17 februari, 1945 (Graf 2-8) (Unknown X-7401)

Onderscheidingen: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

 

Na de oorlog:

Herbegraven op de American Cemetery and Memorial Margraten,  Nederland op 5 maart, 1946

In eerste instantie: XX-12-298 / nu: J-17-18

Identificatie is pas heel laat definitief vastgesteld (1951??) Vader heeft tot op het laatste moment niet geloofd dat het lichaam waarover gecorrespondeerd werd zijn zoon zou zijn.

 

Biografie: