2nd Lt Sterling H Book, Jr was a Co-Pilot in the 8th Air Force, 749th Bomber Squadron,475th Bomber Group, Heavy.
He went MIA after another aircraft hit his plane causing damage so great the plane went down in the North Sea.
2nd Lt Sterling entered the service from Kentucky. He was a member of Cadet Class 44-C at the Army Air Force Training Detachment Bruce Field, Ballinger, Texas.
He was the co-pilot of B-17 " Harf and Harf" on mission to bomb Merseberg, Germany.
Propellers of another aircraft chewed into fuselage of Harf and Harf from under side, and it broke in two pieces, apparently just back of the radio room. The forward part went down in a steep glide for upwards of two minutes, then went into a spin disappeared in the clouds. Tail part went down not in a glide.
No fires and parachutes were seen. At 11.42 hours at 18000 feet at about 5237-0410 E, en route back to England from an abortive sortie which the low squadron had made alone in Germany, A/C 42-38064 and A/C 44-8418 collided in thick haze. A/C 42-38064 was flying number one, low section, and A/C 44-8418 was flying number three, low section. After the collision and the subsequent break-up of A/C 42-3806, A/C 43-38537, flying no. six, low section, descended to the deck in search of the broken plane and spotted one man floating in a Mae West at him, the crew members dropping three successive "K" dinghies (the small seat-type dinghies) after.
The crew members said he chambered aboard the last dinghy dropped and they identified him as the tail gunner of A/C 42-38064. Three or 4 P-51's and one or two P-47's were circling in the vicinity when shore batteries opened fire, then A/C 43-38537 departed, and the pilot believes the fighters departed then also.
https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-margraten-b/44719-book-sterling-h-jr
Contributor: ET (47514618) •
He went MIA after another aircraft hit his plane causing damage so great the plane went down in the North Sea.
2nd Lt Sterling entered the service from Kentucky. He was a member of Cadet Class 44-C at the Army Air Force Training Detachment Bruce Field, Ballinger, Texas.
He was the co-pilot of B-17 " Harf and Harf" on mission to bomb Merseberg, Germany.
Propellers of another aircraft chewed into fuselage of Harf and Harf from under side, and it broke in two pieces, apparently just back of the radio room. The forward part went down in a steep glide for upwards of two minutes, then went into a spin disappeared in the clouds. Tail part went down not in a glide.
No fires and parachutes were seen. At 11.42 hours at 18000 feet at about 5237-0410 E, en route back to England from an abortive sortie which the low squadron had made alone in Germany, A/C 42-38064 and A/C 44-8418 collided in thick haze. A/C 42-38064 was flying number one, low section, and A/C 44-8418 was flying number three, low section. After the collision and the subsequent break-up of A/C 42-3806, A/C 43-38537, flying no. six, low section, descended to the deck in search of the broken plane and spotted one man floating in a Mae West at him, the crew members dropping three successive "K" dinghies (the small seat-type dinghies) after.
The crew members said he chambered aboard the last dinghy dropped and they identified him as the tail gunner of A/C 42-38064. Three or 4 P-51's and one or two P-47's were circling in the vicinity when shore batteries opened fire, then A/C 43-38537 departed, and the pilot believes the fighters departed then also.
https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-margraten-b/44719-book-sterling-h-jr
Contributor: ET (47514618) •
2nd Lt Sterling H Book, Jr was a Co-Pilot in the 8th Air Force, 749th Bomber Squadron,475th Bomber Group, Heavy.
He went MIA after another aircraft hit his plane causing damage so great the plane went down in the North Sea.
2nd Lt Sterling entered the service from Kentucky. He was a member of Cadet Class 44-C at the Army Air Force Training Detachment Bruce Field, Ballinger, Texas.
He was the co-pilot of B-17 " Harf and Harf" on mission to bomb Merseberg, Germany.
Propellers of another aircraft chewed into fuselage of Harf and Harf from under side, and it broke in two pieces, apparently just back of the radio room. The forward part went down in a steep glide for upwards of two minutes, then went into a spin disappeared in the clouds. Tail part went down not in a glide.
No fires and parachutes were seen. At 11.42 hours at 18000 feet at about 5237-0410 E, en route back to England from an abortive sortie which the low squadron had made alone in Germany, A/C 42-38064 and A/C 44-8418 collided in thick haze. A/C 42-38064 was flying number one, low section, and A/C 44-8418 was flying number three, low section. After the collision and the subsequent break-up of A/C 42-3806, A/C 43-38537, flying no. six, low section, descended to the deck in search of the broken plane and spotted one man floating in a Mae West at him, the crew members dropping three successive "K" dinghies (the small seat-type dinghies) after.
The crew members said he chambered aboard the last dinghy dropped and they identified him as the tail gunner of A/C 42-38064. Three or 4 P-51's and one or two P-47's were circling in the vicinity when shore batteries opened fire, then A/C 43-38537 departed, and the pilot believes the fighters departed then also.
https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-margraten-b/44719-book-sterling-h-jr
Contributor: ET (47514618) •
He went MIA after another aircraft hit his plane causing damage so great the plane went down in the North Sea.
2nd Lt Sterling entered the service from Kentucky. He was a member of Cadet Class 44-C at the Army Air Force Training Detachment Bruce Field, Ballinger, Texas.
He was the co-pilot of B-17 " Harf and Harf" on mission to bomb Merseberg, Germany.
Propellers of another aircraft chewed into fuselage of Harf and Harf from under side, and it broke in two pieces, apparently just back of the radio room. The forward part went down in a steep glide for upwards of two minutes, then went into a spin disappeared in the clouds. Tail part went down not in a glide.
No fires and parachutes were seen. At 11.42 hours at 18000 feet at about 5237-0410 E, en route back to England from an abortive sortie which the low squadron had made alone in Germany, A/C 42-38064 and A/C 44-8418 collided in thick haze. A/C 42-38064 was flying number one, low section, and A/C 44-8418 was flying number three, low section. After the collision and the subsequent break-up of A/C 42-3806, A/C 43-38537, flying no. six, low section, descended to the deck in search of the broken plane and spotted one man floating in a Mae West at him, the crew members dropping three successive "K" dinghies (the small seat-type dinghies) after.
The crew members said he chambered aboard the last dinghy dropped and they identified him as the tail gunner of A/C 42-38064. Three or 4 P-51's and one or two P-47's were circling in the vicinity when shore batteries opened fire, then A/C 43-38537 departed, and the pilot believes the fighters departed then also.
https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-margraten-b/44719-book-sterling-h-jr
Contributor: ET (47514618) •
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Kentucky.
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