Sergeant Grady Ed Deelaney, Army serial number 38538967, was born at Oakhurst, San Jacinto County, Texas on March 29, 1922. Apparently his birth name was Edward Pleny Delaney (recorded as Edward Plany DeLaney on his marriage certificate), but he went by Grady Ed Deelaney. He signed his name Grady Ed DeeLaney on his draft registration, and the surname became Deelaney in military records.
He was the youngest of four children of Sherman Sylvester Delaney (7 Feb 1887 – 21 Dec 1960) and Mattie Bell (Adams) Delaney (9 Mar 1898 – 1 Mar 1982), who were both born at Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. His parents married at Waco, McLennan County, Texas on August 6, 1910. In 1911 the family lived at Axtell, near Waco, Texas, and his father was a boiler fireman. By 1916 the family lived at Waco, Texas and his father was a barber. His father lost a leg by 1917 and had a wooden leg (peg leg). In 1930 the family lived at Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, where his father was proprietor of a barber shop.
In April 1940 he lived in the household of his brother James R. Delaney in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas, and was a clerk in a retail feed store. He completed four years of high school, and married in 1940. His wife was Eleanor Ruth (Knowles) Deelaney (11 May 1921 – 12 Apr 1979), who was born at Wills Point, Van Zandt County, Texas. They married at Edinburg, Hidalgo County, Texas on December 4, 1940, and had at least two children. Their second child was born about five months after his death.
He registered for the draft at Edna, Jackson County, Texas on June 30, 1942. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 160 pounds, and had blue eyes and blonde hair. At that time his residence was Humble Oil Camp at La Ward, Jackson County, Texas, and he was employed at Four Corners Texaco Station in Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at Houston, Texas on May 28, 1943. His home of record was Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas, his residence at that time.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training and was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Second Lieutenant Charlton A. Deuschle. The Deuschle crew completed B-17 operational training at Sioux City, Iowa in June 1944. They deployed from Kearney, Nebraska in a B-17 via the north Atlantic ferry route on June 15, 1944, and arrived in England on June 30, 1944. They inprocessed at the Combat Crew Replacement Center at Bovingdon, England in early July 1944, and were assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group on July 24, 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. Here is Lt Deuschle's crew roster on August 5, 1944:
B-17G 43-38007 – 838th Bomb Squadron
• Deuschle, Charlton A – 2/Lt – Pilot – POW
• Steffens, Eugene F – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Underwood, Allan B – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Gregory, Jesse E – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Late, Carl L – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Cochran, William J – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Hinkson Jr, Harry M – Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Deelaney, Grady E – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Haglund, John L – Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
• Crooker, Robert J – Sgt – Waist Gunner – POW
Sgt Deelaney and seven of his crewmates were killed in action on August 5, 1944 when their aircraft, B-17G 43-38007, was shot down by flak on a mission to bomb an aircraft engine factory at Magdeburg, Germany. The aircraft received direct hits just before bombs away, and exploded within seconds. The fuselage broke apart aft of the ball turret, and part of the right wing came off. Most of the men were either killed instantly, or were ejected from the aircraft without their chutes. The aircraft crashed near Lostau, Germany, about 13 kilometers southwest of Burg, near Magdeburg. (The Germans reported that it crashed between Gerwisch and Biederitz, just south of Lostau—vicinity of 52.173°N, 11.731°E.) Pilot 2/Lt Deuschle and gunner Sgt Crooker survived and became prisoners of war. The dead were buried initially at the village cemetery in Lostau (possibly in Alter Friedhof Lostau, the Old Lostau Cemetery).
His remains were returned to the United States and interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas on July 31, 1950. He is buried in Section G, Site 116.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1920 US Census; Texas; McLennan County; Waco. Delaney, Sherman. 7 Jan 1920 (his father)
3. 1930 US Census; Texas; Walker County; Huntsville. Delaney, Sherman. 5 Apr 1930 (his father)
4. 1940 US Census; Texas; Hidalgo County; Weslaco. Delaney, J R. 12 Apr 1940 (his brother)
5. Army Air Forces Collection of Mike Voisin. 'Final Approach': Class Book of Army Air Forces Combat Crew Training School Class 06-10. Sioux City, Iowa, circa 1944 (Deuschle crew completed Combat Crew Training at Sioux City, Iowa)
6. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
7. Enlistment Record of Grady E. Deelaney
8. Grady Edward Deelaney in Delaney-Jutz-Shafer Family Tree (ancestry.com)
9. Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997
10. Texas Marriage Record of Edward Plany DeLaney and Eleanor Ruth Knowles. 4 Dec 1940
11. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 7893
12. U.S. Department of the Army, Adjutant General Office, Technical Records Section. Individual Deceased Personnel File of William J. Cochran, 12131579 (aka '293 File') (his crewmate)
13. U.S. Veterans Administration. Nationwide Gravesite Locator
• Note: This VA database gives his middle initial as L. His middle initial is E, as documented by his draft registration, MACR 7893, and his U.S. National Cemetery record.
14. U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Form for DEELANEY, Grady E; Sgt; serial number 38538967
15. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
16. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
17. World War I Draft Registration of Sherman Sylvester Delaney. 5 Jun 1917 (his father)
18. World War II Draft Registration of Sherman Sylvester Delaney. 27 Apr 1942 (his father)
Research by:
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Sergeant Grady Ed Deelaney, Army serial number 38538967, was born at Oakhurst, San Jacinto County, Texas on March 29, 1922. Apparently his birth name was Edward Pleny Delaney (recorded as Edward Plany DeLaney on his marriage certificate), but he went by Grady Ed Deelaney. He signed his name Grady Ed DeeLaney on his draft registration, and the surname became Deelaney in military records.
He was the youngest of four children of Sherman Sylvester Delaney (7 Feb 1887 – 21 Dec 1960) and Mattie Bell (Adams) Delaney (9 Mar 1898 – 1 Mar 1982), who were both born at Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. His parents married at Waco, McLennan County, Texas on August 6, 1910. In 1911 the family lived at Axtell, near Waco, Texas, and his father was a boiler fireman. By 1916 the family lived at Waco, Texas and his father was a barber. His father lost a leg by 1917 and had a wooden leg (peg leg). In 1930 the family lived at Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, where his father was proprietor of a barber shop.
In April 1940 he lived in the household of his brother James R. Delaney in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas, and was a clerk in a retail feed store. He completed four years of high school, and married in 1940. His wife was Eleanor Ruth (Knowles) Deelaney (11 May 1921 – 12 Apr 1979), who was born at Wills Point, Van Zandt County, Texas. They married at Edinburg, Hidalgo County, Texas on December 4, 1940, and had at least two children. Their second child was born about five months after his death.
He registered for the draft at Edna, Jackson County, Texas on June 30, 1942. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 160 pounds, and had blue eyes and blonde hair. At that time his residence was Humble Oil Camp at La Ward, Jackson County, Texas, and he was employed at Four Corners Texaco Station in Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at Houston, Texas on May 28, 1943. His home of record was Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas, his residence at that time.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training and was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Second Lieutenant Charlton A. Deuschle. The Deuschle crew completed B-17 operational training at Sioux City, Iowa in June 1944. They deployed from Kearney, Nebraska in a B-17 via the north Atlantic ferry route on June 15, 1944, and arrived in England on June 30, 1944. They inprocessed at the Combat Crew Replacement Center at Bovingdon, England in early July 1944, and were assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group on July 24, 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. Here is Lt Deuschle's crew roster on August 5, 1944:
B-17G 43-38007 – 838th Bomb Squadron
• Deuschle, Charlton A – 2/Lt – Pilot – POW
• Steffens, Eugene F – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Underwood, Allan B – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Gregory, Jesse E – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Late, Carl L – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Cochran, William J – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Hinkson Jr, Harry M – Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Deelaney, Grady E – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Haglund, John L – Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
• Crooker, Robert J – Sgt – Waist Gunner – POW
Sgt Deelaney and seven of his crewmates were killed in action on August 5, 1944 when their aircraft, B-17G 43-38007, was shot down by flak on a mission to bomb an aircraft engine factory at Magdeburg, Germany. The aircraft received direct hits just before bombs away, and exploded within seconds. The fuselage broke apart aft of the ball turret, and part of the right wing came off. Most of the men were either killed instantly, or were ejected from the aircraft without their chutes. The aircraft crashed near Lostau, Germany, about 13 kilometers southwest of Burg, near Magdeburg. (The Germans reported that it crashed between Gerwisch and Biederitz, just south of Lostau—vicinity of 52.173°N, 11.731°E.) Pilot 2/Lt Deuschle and gunner Sgt Crooker survived and became prisoners of war. The dead were buried initially at the village cemetery in Lostau (possibly in Alter Friedhof Lostau, the Old Lostau Cemetery).
His remains were returned to the United States and interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas on July 31, 1950. He is buried in Section G, Site 116.
Sources:
1. 487th Bomb Group Association
2. 1920 US Census; Texas; McLennan County; Waco. Delaney, Sherman. 7 Jan 1920 (his father)
3. 1930 US Census; Texas; Walker County; Huntsville. Delaney, Sherman. 5 Apr 1930 (his father)
4. 1940 US Census; Texas; Hidalgo County; Weslaco. Delaney, J R. 12 Apr 1940 (his brother)
5. Army Air Forces Collection of Mike Voisin. 'Final Approach': Class Book of Army Air Forces Combat Crew Training School Class 06-10. Sioux City, Iowa, circa 1944 (Deuschle crew completed Combat Crew Training at Sioux City, Iowa)
6. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004
7. Enlistment Record of Grady E. Deelaney
8. Grady Edward Deelaney in Delaney-Jutz-Shafer Family Tree (ancestry.com)
9. Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997
10. Texas Marriage Record of Edward Plany DeLaney and Eleanor Ruth Knowles. 4 Dec 1940
11. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 7893
12. U.S. Department of the Army, Adjutant General Office, Technical Records Section. Individual Deceased Personnel File of William J. Cochran, 12131579 (aka '293 File') (his crewmate)
13. U.S. Veterans Administration. Nationwide Gravesite Locator
• Note: This VA database gives his middle initial as L. His middle initial is E, as documented by his draft registration, MACR 7893, and his U.S. National Cemetery record.
14. U.S. National Cemetery Interment Control Form for DEELANEY, Grady E; Sgt; serial number 38538967
15. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946
16. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)
17. World War I Draft Registration of Sherman Sylvester Delaney. 5 Jun 1917 (his father)
18. World War II Draft Registration of Sherman Sylvester Delaney. 27 Apr 1942 (his father)
Research by:
Find A Grave member ID 47577572
Inscription
GRADY E
DEELANEY
TEXAS
SGT
487 AAF BOMB GP
WORLD WAR II
MARCH 29 1922
AUGUST 5 1944
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
