Joseph served as a 2nd Lieutenant and Navigator on B-17 (#42-102613), 508th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomber Group, 8th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Illinois prior to the war.
Joseph was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was shot down on Mission 133 to Berlin, Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here in 1951.
Service # O-809698
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Statement from 2nd Lt Mark Medick, Pilot of B-17 (#42-97202) about B-17 (#42-102613):
I was flying as pilot of aircraft #42-97202 which was in No. 3 position of the Lead Element of the High Squadron on a mission to Ludwigshaven, Germany on May 27, 1944. I first saw Lt Howard R. Evans apparently after he had been attacked by enemy fighters because the propeller of his no. 3 engine was feathered. I noticed a white vapor coming from his gas tanks and presumed that they had been hit in this attack in addition to the no. 3 engine. Then I saw him attacked by enemy fighters and a black vapor appeared which indicated an oil leak. After this attack he pulled out of formation and headed toward Switzerland under control. The Alps were plainly visible from where we were. I saw no parachutes nor did I hear anything from Lt Evans on VHF.
The aircraft crashed at Durlach near Karlsruhe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crew of B-17 (#42-102613):
Duffy, James J., 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, POW
Evans, Howard R., 1st Lt, Pilot, POW
Honsowetz, Jack W., Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, California, KIA
Joiner, Glen E., S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, KIA
Koph, Donald G., S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, Iowa, KIA
Norton, Joseph P., 2nd Lt, Navigator, Illinois, KIA
Kovacs, Stephen, S/Sgt, Turret Gunner, New York, KIA
Peterson, Roger N., 1st Lt, Bombardier, POW
Pope, Ronald C., T/Sgt, Radio-Op, Maine, KIA
(Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett)
He resided in Illinois prior to the war.
Joseph was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was shot down on Mission 133 to Berlin, Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here in 1951.
Service # O-809698
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Statement from 2nd Lt Mark Medick, Pilot of B-17 (#42-97202) about B-17 (#42-102613):
I was flying as pilot of aircraft #42-97202 which was in No. 3 position of the Lead Element of the High Squadron on a mission to Ludwigshaven, Germany on May 27, 1944. I first saw Lt Howard R. Evans apparently after he had been attacked by enemy fighters because the propeller of his no. 3 engine was feathered. I noticed a white vapor coming from his gas tanks and presumed that they had been hit in this attack in addition to the no. 3 engine. Then I saw him attacked by enemy fighters and a black vapor appeared which indicated an oil leak. After this attack he pulled out of formation and headed toward Switzerland under control. The Alps were plainly visible from where we were. I saw no parachutes nor did I hear anything from Lt Evans on VHF.
The aircraft crashed at Durlach near Karlsruhe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crew of B-17 (#42-102613):
Duffy, James J., 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, POW
Evans, Howard R., 1st Lt, Pilot, POW
Honsowetz, Jack W., Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, California, KIA
Joiner, Glen E., S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, KIA
Koph, Donald G., S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, Iowa, KIA
Norton, Joseph P., 2nd Lt, Navigator, Illinois, KIA
Kovacs, Stephen, S/Sgt, Turret Gunner, New York, KIA
Peterson, Roger N., 1st Lt, Bombardier, POW
Pope, Ronald C., T/Sgt, Radio-Op, Maine, KIA
(Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett)
Joseph served as a 2nd Lieutenant and Navigator on B-17 (#42-102613), 508th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomber Group, 8th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Illinois prior to the war.
Joseph was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was shot down on Mission 133 to Berlin, Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here in 1951.
Service # O-809698
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Statement from 2nd Lt Mark Medick, Pilot of B-17 (#42-97202) about B-17 (#42-102613):
I was flying as pilot of aircraft #42-97202 which was in No. 3 position of the Lead Element of the High Squadron on a mission to Ludwigshaven, Germany on May 27, 1944. I first saw Lt Howard R. Evans apparently after he had been attacked by enemy fighters because the propeller of his no. 3 engine was feathered. I noticed a white vapor coming from his gas tanks and presumed that they had been hit in this attack in addition to the no. 3 engine. Then I saw him attacked by enemy fighters and a black vapor appeared which indicated an oil leak. After this attack he pulled out of formation and headed toward Switzerland under control. The Alps were plainly visible from where we were. I saw no parachutes nor did I hear anything from Lt Evans on VHF.
The aircraft crashed at Durlach near Karlsruhe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crew of B-17 (#42-102613):
Duffy, James J., 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, POW
Evans, Howard R., 1st Lt, Pilot, POW
Honsowetz, Jack W., Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, California, KIA
Joiner, Glen E., S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, KIA
Koph, Donald G., S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, Iowa, KIA
Norton, Joseph P., 2nd Lt, Navigator, Illinois, KIA
Kovacs, Stephen, S/Sgt, Turret Gunner, New York, KIA
Peterson, Roger N., 1st Lt, Bombardier, POW
Pope, Ronald C., T/Sgt, Radio-Op, Maine, KIA
(Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett)
He resided in Illinois prior to the war.
Joseph was "Killed In Action" when his B-17 was shot down on Mission 133 to Berlin, Germany. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred overseas and was later repatriated here in 1951.
Service # O-809698
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Statement from 2nd Lt Mark Medick, Pilot of B-17 (#42-97202) about B-17 (#42-102613):
I was flying as pilot of aircraft #42-97202 which was in No. 3 position of the Lead Element of the High Squadron on a mission to Ludwigshaven, Germany on May 27, 1944. I first saw Lt Howard R. Evans apparently after he had been attacked by enemy fighters because the propeller of his no. 3 engine was feathered. I noticed a white vapor coming from his gas tanks and presumed that they had been hit in this attack in addition to the no. 3 engine. Then I saw him attacked by enemy fighters and a black vapor appeared which indicated an oil leak. After this attack he pulled out of formation and headed toward Switzerland under control. The Alps were plainly visible from where we were. I saw no parachutes nor did I hear anything from Lt Evans on VHF.
The aircraft crashed at Durlach near Karlsruhe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Crew of B-17 (#42-102613):
Duffy, James J., 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, POW
Evans, Howard R., 1st Lt, Pilot, POW
Honsowetz, Jack W., Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, California, KIA
Joiner, Glen E., S/Sgt, Waist Gunner, KIA
Koph, Donald G., S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, Iowa, KIA
Norton, Joseph P., 2nd Lt, Navigator, Illinois, KIA
Kovacs, Stephen, S/Sgt, Turret Gunner, New York, KIA
Peterson, Roger N., 1st Lt, Bombardier, POW
Pope, Ronald C., T/Sgt, Radio-Op, Maine, KIA
(Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett)
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2LT, 508 AAF BOMB SQ WORLD WAR II
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