Oliver served as a Staff Sergeant & Right Waist Gunner on B-17G "Shadie Sadie" #43-38639, 548th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces
He resided in Benton County, Iowa prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on June 2, 1943 at Camp Dodge, Herrold, Iowa. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Farm Hand and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-38639 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155 B-17G #43-38210 collided into them and both B-17's crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Oliver was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # 37672153
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38639:
Abernathy, Mercer G ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Bartlett, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, PA
Cook, Charles J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, CA
Crimmins, Timothy E J ~ Capt, Pilot, GA
Dawidowicz, Milton ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Dodd, James E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, FL
Fitz Gerald, Robert D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MI
Murphy, James E ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, D.C.
Rapps, Oliver J ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, IA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210 see:
Ritchie, Robert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Washington
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Benton County, Iowa prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on June 2, 1943 at Camp Dodge, Herrold, Iowa. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Farm Hand and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-38639 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155 B-17G #43-38210 collided into them and both B-17's crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Oliver was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # 37672153
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38639:
Abernathy, Mercer G ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Bartlett, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, PA
Cook, Charles J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, CA
Crimmins, Timothy E J ~ Capt, Pilot, GA
Dawidowicz, Milton ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Dodd, James E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, FL
Fitz Gerald, Robert D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MI
Murphy, James E ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, D.C.
Rapps, Oliver J ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, IA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210 see:
Ritchie, Robert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Washington
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oliver served as a Staff Sergeant & Right Waist Gunner on B-17G "Shadie Sadie" #43-38639, 548th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces
He resided in Benton County, Iowa prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on June 2, 1943 at Camp Dodge, Herrold, Iowa. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Farm Hand and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-38639 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155 B-17G #43-38210 collided into them and both B-17's crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Oliver was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # 37672153
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38639:
Abernathy, Mercer G ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Bartlett, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, PA
Cook, Charles J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, CA
Crimmins, Timothy E J ~ Capt, Pilot, GA
Dawidowicz, Milton ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Dodd, James E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, FL
Fitz Gerald, Robert D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MI
Murphy, James E ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, D.C.
Rapps, Oliver J ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, IA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210 see:
Ritchie, Robert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Washington
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Benton County, Iowa prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on June 2, 1943 at Camp Dodge, Herrold, Iowa. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Farm Hand and also as Single, without dependents.
B-17G #43-38639 took off from Station 155 in England on a bombing mission to Kiel, Germany.
After completion of the mission and while returning to Station 155 B-17G #43-38210 collided into them and both B-17's crashed into the North Sea during the war.
It is believed that B-17G #43-38210 had suffered battle damage which caused the pilot, 1st Lt. Ritchie, to lose control of his B-17.
Oliver was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart.
All nine airmen on his B-17 were declared "Missing".
Service # 37672153
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38639:
Abernathy, Mercer G ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, TX
Bartlett, Robert E ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, PA
Cook, Charles J ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, CA
Crimmins, Timothy E J ~ Capt, Pilot, GA
Dawidowicz, Milton ~ S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, MD
Dodd, James E ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, FL
Fitz Gerald, Robert D ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MI
Murphy, James E ~ Capt, Co-Pilot, D.C.
Rapps, Oliver J ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, IA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
For airmen who perished on B-17G #43-38210 see:
Ritchie, Robert G ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Washington
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Bio & Crew Reports by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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