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Personal info

Full name
LUCE, Arthur William
Date of birth
10 November 1919
Age
24
Place of birth
Nampa, Canyon County, Idaho
Hometown
Cook County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
O-809012
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
578th Bombardment Squadron,
392nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
29 April 1944
Place of death
Near the Farmhouse of Willy Gudehus
East Meitze, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Walls of the Missing
* This soldier has been accounted for. A rosette has been placed next to his name.

Immediate family

Members
Arthur E. Luce (father)
May M. (Cunningham) Luce (mother)
Joseph E. Luce (brother)
Ralph L. Luce (brother)
Grace M. Luce (sister)
Catherine M. Luce (sister)
Emily M. Luce (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
42-110105
Data
Type: B-24J
Destination: Berlin, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the city
MACR: 4446

More information

The only returning crew eyewitness report stated briefly that this plane was seen peeling off after the enemy fighter attacks with the right elevator appearing to be badly shot up, and that no chutes were seen. There were no additional reports on the loss of this aircrew and ship in the MACR.

About an hour after the impact a bomb detonated in the wreckage sending debris far and wide through the little town.

In 2003, a German national located the crash site and discovered humain remains. U.S. military teams excavated the site in 2005 and 2007 and found additional remains and ID tags that matched the airmen. DNA analyses were also done. Due to the fact that it was impossible to identify each crew member separately, their remains were buried in a single casket at Arlington National Cemetery on 26 October 2011.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Raf Dyckmans, www.B24.net, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, Military.com, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree

Photo source: Peter Schouteten, Michel Beckers