bigpigeon.us webarea WW II - Germany > ETO > ETO Air War, updated by RAC 7 Sep 2020.

The air war in the European Theater of Operations was a continuation of the air war between England and Germany fought by the Royal Air Force and the Luftwaffe, the German air force.

The ETO Air War was characterized by the use of thousands of US and English heavy bombers based in southern England against targets in Germany and elsewhere in occupied Europe. It tied up large portions of the German war machine, but resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Allied air crew and hundreds of thousands of civilians, especially in Germany, but also in France and the other occupied countries.

The German cities most affected included Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Dresden.

Most Americans who died while participating in the ETO Air War were members of either the 8th Air Force, which conducted the heavy bombing campaign, or the 9th Air Force, which provided fighter, light and medium bomber, and troop carrier and cargo aircraft.
Sources for the ETO Air War webpage:
  • The page header photo B-24 Lost to Flak is courtesy of pinterest.
Sources for the ETO Air War webpage:
  • The page header photo B-24 Lost to Flak is courtesy of pinterest.

Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead - ETO Air War: 03-09 - The ETO > ETO Air War: (35 dead, updated 22 Jul 2021)
† Anderson, Virgil Wendell, SN T-003902, USAAF, Buena Vista and Pott. Cos.
  • 95th Troop Carrier Sqdn., 440th Troop Carrier Gp., 9th AF; based at Chateaudun, NW of Orleans, France; Douglas C-47A Skytrain/Dakota #42-100906 co-pilot; KIA 27 Dec 1944 near St. Hubert, W of Bastogne, Belgium; flak brought plane down during glider tow mission carrying supplies to Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge; three dead, two survivors; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Benedict, George Junior, SN 37-485-642, USAAF, Mills Co.
  • b. 16 Sep 1921 Tabor, Fremont Co.; s/o Fenton Eber Benedict & Clara E. Lee; family moved to rural Hastings, Mills Co. in late 1920s; worked for North American Aviation in Inglewood, CA in early 1940s; entered service 4 Oct 1943 from Rt 1, Hastings; m. Twyla L. Carter of Iowa Nov 1944 in El Paso, TX; bur. Hastings Cem.
  • 731st Bomb. Sqdn., 452nd Bomb Gp., 8th AF, based at Doepham Green, Norfolk, England; B-17G #44-8015 Johnny Reb w/ pilot William T. Emmet II; KIA Pfaffenhofen an der Roth, Bavaria, near Ulm, Germany, 22 Feb 1945; plane broke apart approaching the target in overcast conditions; seven died, three survived; The ETO > ETO Air War.
†  Blaylock, John Robert “Bob” Jr., SN O-437451, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • C.O. 510th Bomb. Sqdn., 351st Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; based at Polebrook, Northamptonshire, England; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress #42-37731 pilot; KIA 31 Dec 1943 near Royan, SW France; plane shot down after raid on Bordeaux, parachute failed; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Braden, Grant Nathaniel, SN O-690177, USAAF, Montgomery Co.
  • 597th Bomb. Sqdn., 397th Bomb. Gp., Ninth AF; Martin B-26 Marauder #42-96162 Dottie Dee pilot; KIA 30 Jan 1945 near Courtisols, SE of Reims, Marne, France; plane crashed in a snowstorm returning from a weather reconnaissance mission; crew of four all died.
† Cargill, Lawrence Elroy, SN 37-464-353, USAAF, Fremont Co.
  • 44th Bomb. Gp., 66th Bomb Sqdn., 8th AF, based at Shipdham Airfield, Norwich, England W of the city of Norwich; Consolidated B-24 Liberator #41-28795 radio operator w/ pilot Forest M. Musgrave; DNB 8 May 1944 near Acle, Norwich, England, between the city of Norwich and Great Yarmouth; aircraft was on a training mission preparatory to serving as a radar-equipped Pathfinder; lost control from unknown causes and crashed; two killed (Musgrave's chute didn't open and Cargill stayed with the aircraft); The ETO > ETO Air War.
†  Cohen, Irving, SN O-771221, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 728 Bomb. Sqdn; 452 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Deopham Green, Norfolk, England; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortess #42-97534 pilot; KIA on his first mission 25 Nov 1944 over Harren, N of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; plane exploded in mid-air after direct flak hit, seven crew dead, two POW; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.
†  Delong, Lloyd, SN 37-117-114, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 409th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF, flying Douglas A-26 Invaders, based at Bretigny, S of Paris, France; DNB 3 Nov 1944 at Fleury-Mérogis, near Paris; head injuries from falling from a moving truck; The ETO > ETO Air War.
†  Dideriksen, Robert Warren, SN O-2044637, USAAF, Pott. & Page Cos.
  • 14th Photo Recon. Sqdn., 7th Recon. Gp., 8th AF, based at Mount Farm, N of Dorchester, Oxfordshire, England; British Supermarine PR Mk XI Spitfire #PL790 pilot; KIA 15 Jun 1944 near Paris, France; shot down by German Me-109s; The ETO > ETO Air War.
†  Downs, Thomas George, SN O-745648, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 85th Troop Carrier Sqdn., 437th Troop Carrier Gp., 9th AF, based at Ramsbury, Wiltshire, England; Douglas C-47A Skytrain/Dakota #43-15655 pilot; DNB 27 Aug 1944 at landing field ALG A-22 near Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France; crashed while landing, four dead; The ETO > ETO Air War.
†  Emerson, Charles Waldo, SN 37-485-764, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 418th Bomb. Sqdn., 100th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; based at Thorpe Abbots, Norfolk, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 43-37517 Heaven Can Wait tail gunner; WIA 11 Sep 1944 over Ruhland, N of Dresden, Germany; DOW 30 Sep 1944 in hospital, England; The ETO > ETO Air War.  
†  Evers, Leland Junior, SN O-748386, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 730 Bomb. Sqdn., 452 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Deopham Green, Norfolk, England; Boeing B17-G Flying Fortress #42-31334 pilot; KIA 12 Apr 1944 over North Sea; plane ditched returning from mission, six dead; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.
†  Friend, James Junior, SN O-746080, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 551st Bomb. Sqdn., 385th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Great Ashfield, Suffolk, England; Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress #42-30822 Dorsal Queen co-pilot w/ pilot Delmer Gray; KIA 25 Feb 1944 over Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany; mid-air explosion from flak, seven dead, three POW; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Gallup, Eugene Maxwell, SN 39-539-448, USAAF, Harrison Co.
  • 578th Bomb. Sqdn., 392nd Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; stationed at Wendling, near East Dereham, Norfolk, England; Consolidated B-24 Liberator #41-28688 gunner w/ pilot Travis W. Griffin; KIA 24 Apr 1944; multiple engine failure on mission to Leipheim Luftwaffe air base, E of Ulm, Bavaria, Germany; entire crew of ten bailed out SW of Freudenstadt, Baden; two died.
† Gustafson, Dale Eldon, SN 19-127-645, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 250th Bomb. Sqdn., 100th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; stationed at Thorpe Abbots, Norfolk, England; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress #42-102611 left waist gunner; KIA 27 Jun 1944 near Great Yarmouth, England, plane lost during training flight; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.
†  Holiday, Albert Henry, SN 17-029-435, USAAF, Harrison & Ringgold Cos.
  • 641st Bomb. Sqdn., 409th Bomb. Grp., based at Little Walden, Essex, England; North American A-20G Havoc #43-9703 gunner w/ pilot Joseph R. Armistead; KIA 11 Jun 1944 Uttlesford District, Essex, England; three aircraft collided after takeoff, two crashed; five died from the eight crew members of the two lost aircraft.​
† Howard, Charles Joseph, SN 17-131-392 & O-2067716, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 37th Bomb. Sqdn., 17th Bomb Gp., 12th AF, based at Dijon-Longvic, Burgundy, France; Martin B-26F Marauder #42-96326 copilot; KIA 26 Apr 1945 near target of Neuburg an der Donau, between Munich and Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Kersten, Lloyd Wesley, O-819918, USAAF, Harrison Co.
  • 836th Bomb. Sqdn., 487th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Lavenham, Suffolk, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #43-37877 pilot; KIA 30 Nov 1944, Theissen Burgenlandkreis, Sachsen-Anhalt, SW of Leipzig, Germany; shot down by flak over secondary target; seven dead, two POW; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Kussman, Edward William, SN 37-261-765, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 856 Bomb. Sqdn., 492nd Bomb. Gp., 8th AF; based at North Pickenham, Norfolk, England; Consolidated B-24 Liberator #42-50331 waist gunner w/ pilot Henry L. Polansky; KIA 31 Mar 1945, near Kirkwall, Orkney Is., Scotland; plane lost power and crashed returning from aborted Operation Carpetbagger mission; 13 dead included six Norwegian Special Forces members; one survivor; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† McCord, George Melvin, SN 37-651-218, USAAF, Harrison Co.
  • 785th Bomb. Sqdn., 466th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Attlebridge, Norfolk, England; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #41-29466 right waist gunner, KIA 23 Mar 1944 over St. Jansklooster, NE of Amsterdam, Netherlands; mid-air collision; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Melton, Derald William, SN 17-131-529, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 547th Bomb. Sqdn., 384th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Grafton-Underwood, Northamptonshire, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #42-10783 bombardier; KIA 27 Dec 1944 near Arenberg, E of Koblenz, Germany; plane lost rear section from flak & crashed, eight dead, two survivors; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Napier, Roy Hugh, SN O-769905, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 485th Fighter Sqdn., 370th Fighter Gp., 9th AF, based at Florennes-Juzaine, Belgium, ~70 miles S of Brussels; Lockheed P-38J Lightning #42-67822 pilot; KIA 3 Jan 1945; aircraft crash; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Narvis, Charles William, SN O-698999, USAAF, Muscatine Co.
  • 375th Fighter Sqdn., 361th Fighter Gp., 8th AF, based at Bottisham, Cambridgeshire, England; North American P-51 Mustang #44-14226 Babe pilot; KIA 2 Nov 1944 10 miles E of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Petrus, Richard Marvin, SN 17-148-212, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 706th Bomb. Sqdn., 466 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Bungay/Flixton, Suffolk, England; Consolidated B-24 Liberator #42-50790 tail gunner; KIA 11 Apr 1945 SW of Bungay/Flixton; two returning bombers collided, no survivors; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Pogge, George Hubert, SN O-718974, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 714th Bomb. Sqdn., 448th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Seething, Norfolk, England; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-95134 Lady Margaret navigator w/ pilot Francis Bodkin; KIA 26 Aug 1944 en route to Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany; plane brought down by flak 7 miles W of Ludwigshafen; six died, four survived; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Schaupp, Dale John, SN 17-123-462, USAAF, Harrison Co.
  • 600th Bomb. Sqdn., 398th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Nuthamstead, Hampshire, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #42-97339 flight engineer/top turret gunner; KIA 19 May 1944 near Berlin, Germany; plane hit by flak and by debris from an overhead plane; eight died, two POW; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Seeger, LeRoy Ernest "Roy", SN 17-131-731, USAAF, Mills Co.
  • 838th Bomb. Sqdn., 487th Bomb. Gp., based at Lavenham, Suffolk, England; B-17G #42-98013 flight engineer/top turret gunner w/ pilot Clement J. Kochzynski; KIA 14 Jan 1945 near Ventschau, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, ESE of Lüneburg, Germany returning from mission to Onsabrück or Magdeburg; collision with another B-17; plane left formation, exploded in mid-air and spiraled to the ground; four dead, five POWs; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Smith, Henry Clayton, SN 37-480-433, USAAF, Mills Co.
  • 494th Bomb. Sqdn., 344th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF, based at Stansted, near Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, England; Martin B-26G5 Marauder #43-34406 tail gunner; KIA 23 Sep 1944 near Venlo, SE Netherlands; plane shot down by flak; two crew may have survived, remaining four died; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Spedding, Edward William, SN O-767677, USAAF, Oswego Co., NY
  • 409th Bomb. Sqdn., 93rd Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Hartwick, Norfolk, England; Consolidated B-24J Liberator #42-109815 co-pilot w/ pilot Eldon C. Frobish; KIA 5 Nov 1944 near Voslapp N of Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony, Germany; plane crashed while participating in a raid on Misburg, E of Hanover, Germany (probable target was oil refineries); one survived, three bodies found & buried by Germans, five died in the water; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Stith, George Noel, SN O-697177, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 557th Bomb. Sqdn., 387th Bomb. Gp., 9th AF; based at Clastres, France, E of Amiens; Martin B-26F Marauder #42-96309 pilot; KIA 23 Dec 1944, near Bastogne, Belgium; plane returning from bombing mission over Hagen, Germany, crashed from flak; three killed, four POW; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Stockman, Kenneth Herman, SN 37-482-024, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 427 Bomb. Sqdn., 303 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, England; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress #43-38057 radio operator; KIA 9 Nov 1944 near Molesworth Air Base; mid-air collision while assembling for raid over Schweinfurt, one survivor; The ETO > ETO Air War.
† Sweeny, Duane Grant Henry, SN O-770836, USAAF, Pott. Co.
  • 568th Bomb. Sqdn., 390th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Framlingham, Suffolk, England; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress #42-32026 'Tis a Mystery pilot; KIA 30 Nov 1944 over North Sea; plane iced up & crashed near beginning of mission to Kassel, Germany; all nine crew dead; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.
† Wentz, William Findley, SN 17-069-660, USAAF, Black Hawk Co. 
  • 785th Bomber Sqdn., 466th Bomber Gp., 8th AF, based at Attlebridge, Norfolk, England; Consolidated B-24H Liberator #42-52555 Ol' Tom Cat flight engineer; KIA 9 May 1944 on mission to Tutow, E of Rostock, Germany, ditched in North Sea, no survivors; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.
† Wilcox, Blaine Bertrand, SN O-772098, USAAF, Mills Co.
  • 613th Bomb. Sqdn. 401st Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Dennethorpe, Northhampshire, England; Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress #42-31801 Son-of-a-Blitz bombardier; KIA 7 Oct 1944, over Politz, between Hamburg & Lubeck, Germany, destroyed by flak, all nine died; The ETO > ETO Air War.​
† Wilcox, Stewart La Val, SN T-062027, USAAF, Mills Co. & Delaware
  • 613 Bomb. Sqdn., 401 Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Dennethorpe, Northhampshire, England; Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress #42-32005 co-pilot; KIA 24 Jul 1944 English Channel, plane caught fire returning from raid over St. Lo, Normandy, France (first day of carpet bombing preliminary to Operation Cobra); all nine bailed out over English Channel, all rescued except for Flight Officer Stewart Wilcox; The ETO > ETO Air War; BNR.
† Yergey, Stanley Allen, SN O-717010, USAAF, Douglas Co., NE
  • 853th Bomb. Sqdn., 491th Bomb. Gp., 8th AF, based at Metfield, Suffolk, England; Consolidated B-24 Liberator #44-10485 Dorty Treek bombardier; KIA 26 Nov 1944, shot down between Sarstedt and Heisede, S of Hanover, Germany; four dead, Lt. Yergey's remains found in the plane; The ETO > ETO Air War.