Son of Roy Fitzell who resided in Los Angeles, California.
Gilbert served as a First Lieutenant & Navigator on B-17F #42-3251, 342nd Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in San Diego County, California prior to the war.
Gilbert was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant on January 16, 1943.
On January 11, 1944, bombers from the 15th Air Force based in Cerignola, Italy, were dispatched to strike harbor installations at Piraeus, Greece.
Approaching the target area, they encountered adverse weather and extreme wind and icing conditions.
Gilbert's B-17 & also B-17 #42-29918, with ice forming on their wings and due to cloud cover having lost their formation, decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircrafts made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st Bomber Group formation which was also on the same mission.
Gilbert was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17F #42-30357 of the 301st Bomber Group near Agrambela, Greece during the war.
When Gilbert's B-17 pulled up to try to avoid a head-collision they were struck on the underbelly by B-17F #42-30357 which caused an explosion of their bomb load causing both planes to crash.
B-17 #42-29918, which had turned back with Gilbert's B-17, collided into B-17 #42-31396 which was also part of the 301st Bomber Group causing them both to also crash.
( see below )
All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.
Gilbert was awarded the Air Medal & Purple Heart.
Service ID: O-669027.
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
Bio by:
ShaneO & Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-3251:
Bigby, Harvey M ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, LA
Cole, Wilbur E ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, IN
Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA
Hendrickson, Dissler W ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, KS
LeJeune, Delbert C ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MO
Mayo, Roy F ~ FO, Pilot, MO
Stevens, Clarence L ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, SD
Three airmen were seen parachuting to the ground.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-29918 see:
Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30357 see:
Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-31396 see:
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Above Crew Report's by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilbert served as a First Lieutenant & Navigator on B-17F #42-3251, 342nd Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in San Diego County, California prior to the war.
Gilbert was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant on January 16, 1943.
On January 11, 1944, bombers from the 15th Air Force based in Cerignola, Italy, were dispatched to strike harbor installations at Piraeus, Greece.
Approaching the target area, they encountered adverse weather and extreme wind and icing conditions.
Gilbert's B-17 & also B-17 #42-29918, with ice forming on their wings and due to cloud cover having lost their formation, decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircrafts made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st Bomber Group formation which was also on the same mission.
Gilbert was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17F #42-30357 of the 301st Bomber Group near Agrambela, Greece during the war.
When Gilbert's B-17 pulled up to try to avoid a head-collision they were struck on the underbelly by B-17F #42-30357 which caused an explosion of their bomb load causing both planes to crash.
B-17 #42-29918, which had turned back with Gilbert's B-17, collided into B-17 #42-31396 which was also part of the 301st Bomber Group causing them both to also crash.
( see below )
All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.
Gilbert was awarded the Air Medal & Purple Heart.
Service ID: O-669027.
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
Bio by:
ShaneO & Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-3251:
Bigby, Harvey M ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, LA
Cole, Wilbur E ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, IN
Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA
Hendrickson, Dissler W ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, KS
LeJeune, Delbert C ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MO
Mayo, Roy F ~ FO, Pilot, MO
Stevens, Clarence L ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, SD
Three airmen were seen parachuting to the ground.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-29918 see:
Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30357 see:
Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-31396 see:
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Above Crew Report's by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Son of Roy Fitzell who resided in Los Angeles, California.
Gilbert served as a First Lieutenant & Navigator on B-17F #42-3251, 342nd Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in San Diego County, California prior to the war.
Gilbert was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant on January 16, 1943.
On January 11, 1944, bombers from the 15th Air Force based in Cerignola, Italy, were dispatched to strike harbor installations at Piraeus, Greece.
Approaching the target area, they encountered adverse weather and extreme wind and icing conditions.
Gilbert's B-17 & also B-17 #42-29918, with ice forming on their wings and due to cloud cover having lost their formation, decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircrafts made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st Bomber Group formation which was also on the same mission.
Gilbert was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17F #42-30357 of the 301st Bomber Group near Agrambela, Greece during the war.
When Gilbert's B-17 pulled up to try to avoid a head-collision they were struck on the underbelly by B-17F #42-30357 which caused an explosion of their bomb load causing both planes to crash.
B-17 #42-29918, which had turned back with Gilbert's B-17, collided into B-17 #42-31396 which was also part of the 301st Bomber Group causing them both to also crash.
( see below )
All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.
Gilbert was awarded the Air Medal & Purple Heart.
Service ID: O-669027.
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
Bio by:
ShaneO & Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-3251:
Bigby, Harvey M ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, LA
Cole, Wilbur E ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, IN
Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA
Hendrickson, Dissler W ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, KS
LeJeune, Delbert C ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MO
Mayo, Roy F ~ FO, Pilot, MO
Stevens, Clarence L ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, SD
Three airmen were seen parachuting to the ground.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-29918 see:
Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30357 see:
Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-31396 see:
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Above Crew Report's by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gilbert served as a First Lieutenant & Navigator on B-17F #42-3251, 342nd Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in San Diego County, California prior to the war.
Gilbert was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant on January 16, 1943.
On January 11, 1944, bombers from the 15th Air Force based in Cerignola, Italy, were dispatched to strike harbor installations at Piraeus, Greece.
Approaching the target area, they encountered adverse weather and extreme wind and icing conditions.
Gilbert's B-17 & also B-17 #42-29918, with ice forming on their wings and due to cloud cover having lost their formation, decided to return to base. Instead of making a 180-degree right turn, away from the formations, the aircrafts made a turn to the left and flew head-on into the 301st Bomber Group formation which was also on the same mission.
Gilbert was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 collided with B-17F #42-30357 of the 301st Bomber Group near Agrambela, Greece during the war.
When Gilbert's B-17 pulled up to try to avoid a head-collision they were struck on the underbelly by B-17F #42-30357 which caused an explosion of their bomb load causing both planes to crash.
B-17 #42-29918, which had turned back with Gilbert's B-17, collided into B-17 #42-31396 which was also part of the 301st Bomber Group causing them both to also crash.
( see below )
All four of the B-17's were lost in this crash.
Gilbert was awarded the Air Medal & Purple Heart.
Service ID: O-669027.
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
Bio by:
ShaneO & Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17F #42-3251:
Bigby, Harvey M ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, LA
Cole, Wilbur E ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, IN
Fitzell, Gilbert O ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, CA
Hendrickson, Dissler W ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, KS
LeJeune, Delbert C ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, MO
Mayo, Roy F ~ FO, Pilot, MO
Stevens, Clarence L ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, SD
Three airmen were seen parachuting to the ground.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-29918 see:
Easterling, Herbert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, SC
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-30357 see:
Williams, Richard D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17F #42-31396 see:
Dunbar, Joseph S ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CA
Above Crew Report's by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inscription
1LT, 342 AAF BOMB SQ, 97 BOMB GP WORLD WAR II
Gravesite Details
He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here on January 13, 1950.
