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Personal info

Full name
SUSKIND, Saul
Date of birth
12 September 1921
Age
21
Place of birth
New York
Hometown
The Bronx, Bronx County, New York City, New York
Religion
Jewish

Military service

Service number
6979809
Rank
Technical Sergeant
Function
Engineer
Unit
68th Bombardment Squadron,
44th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
27 January 1943
Place of death
Harlingen, Terschelling, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
M 22 6

Immediate family

Members
Isaac Suskind (father)
Frieda (Glickstein) Suskind (mother)
Ethel Suskind (sister)
Daniel Berger (half brother)

Plane data

Serial number
41-23690
Data
Type: B-24J
Destination: Wilhelmshaven, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the naval base
MACR: 15637

More information

T/Sgt Saul Suskind finished Peter Stuyvesant High School with honor roll listing. He was offered an engineering college scholarship with a student deferment from the military while continuing with school. Saul could have earned an engineering degree from a top school, and the war would have been over when he completed college. He refused to have his mother and older sister carry him any further, and enlisted in the peace time Army Air Corp. This way he would have steady pay to send home to his mother.

The primary target as briefed was Wilhelmshaven in Germany, but due to severe weather and poor navigation, is was decided to hit a "target of opportunity" at Lemmer in the Netherlands. On the way back, the formation was attacked by Me 109s and FW 190s, numbering about 36. A few minutes later, at 1155 hours, the aircraft severely damaged an attacking FW 190 and apparently killed the pilot. This enemy aircraft then crashed into the left wing tip, tearing off the left wing as well as the tail assembly. The aircraft went into a flat spin and crashed into the rather shallow Wadden Sea, as did the FW. No one was able to parachute and there were no survivors. Despite a large-scale search by both the Germans and Dutch, only the bodies of three American airmen were found and identified.

The body of T/Sgt Suskind was picked out of sea by the rescue boat "Brandaris" on the day of the crash. His skull was fractured. He was first buried at the Allied Military Cemetery of Terschelling on 30 January 1943. After disinterment, he was buried in a temporary grave at Margraten on 5 November 1945. He was again disinterred on 13 September 1948. His remains were prepared and placed in a casket on 25 October 1948 and he was given his final resting place at Margraten on 29 November 1950.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch, Barry Wall, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Jewish Servicemen Card / U.S., Headstone and Interment Record / Family Tree

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Art Cutler, Barry Wall, www.626-squadron.co.uk - Usaf 44th