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name
HANCY, Eldred Edward - Date of
birth
8 March 1916 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan -
Hometown
Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-683237 -
Rank
Second Lieutenant -
Function
Navigator -
Unit
510th Bombardment Squadron,
351st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
9 October 1943 - Place of
death
Hallig Hooge Island, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
Bert Hancy (father)
Emma Hancy (mother)
Louisa Hancy (sister)
John Hancy (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30867 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Destination: Anklam, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the Arado-Heinkel aviation industry
MACR: 1035
More information
Eldred Hancy attended Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan.He enlisted in Detroit, Michigan on 24 June 1941.
Shortly after crossing the Danish coast the group was attacked by German fighters. Thirty to fifty Me 109s executed many close attacks. At the start of the bomb-run the enemy fighters broke off their attacks, leaving the formation to suffer the attentions of the Anklam flak gunners.
Smoke from the bombs of the preceding Wing obscured the target, as a consequence most of the bombs fell in the center of the city.
The formation turned for home and flew straight into the Luftwaffe's assembled forces. Me 110s and a few Ju 88s stood off and fired rockets into the formation.
Edmond Blais and another crew member, John R. Butterbach, were killed during the fighter attack.
In total four crew members were killed, six were taken prisoner.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Carla Mans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.footnote.com, www.basher82.nl, www.ancestry.com - U.S. School Yearbook / 1930 Census / U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men
Photo source: www.basher82.nl, www.ancestry.com - U.S. School Yearbook / Arie-Jan van Hees, Navigator Class Book 43-9 San Marcos, Texas