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name
SCHNUELLE, Vernon R - Date of
birth
27 September 1919 -
Age
24 - Place of
birth
Harbine, Jefferson County, Nebraska -
Hometown
Gage County, Nebraska
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
6914334 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Engineer/Top Turret Gunner -
Unit
510th Bombardment Squadron,
351st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
3 February 1944 - Place of
death
Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Otto E. Schnuelle (father)
Louise Schnuelle (mother)
Leonard Schnuelle (brother)
Lloyd Schnuelle (brother)
Dorothy Schnuelle (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-31509 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Twinkle Toes
Destination: Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat building yards
MACR: 7589
More information
T/Sgt Vernon R. Schnuelle entered bomb bay to release hung up bombs, but lack of space prevented him wearing his parachute. He fell out when the bombs were released.The Co Pilot, Ralph Forsaith is still living in lives in Maine at the age of 95 (in January 2017). He remembers the mission and T/Sgt Schnuelle. He remembers T/Sgt Schnuelle flew in to Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the day of the Japanese attack, and then flew his required number of missions in the Pacific and after that volunteered to go to the Atlantic Theater.
He was on his second mission.
His brother Lloyd also served and was a pilot.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Astrid van Erp, Luc van der Sterren, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.8thafhs.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census, www.findagrave.com
Photo source: Peter Schouteten, www.findagrave.com - Karen / Ann Marie (Petersen) Schnuelle, www.newspaperarchive.com - Beatrice Daily Sun 11 February 1944