STEIN, MEYER Dec 31, 1942 age 24 MIA North Atlantic

BERNARD MEYER STEIN  b. 1920 Michigan d. Dec 31, 1942  Missing in Action Atlantic Ocean

Ensign 0152775 Naval Reserve S.S. C.J. Barkdull

17685 Cooley

Buried: Memorialized Battery Park New York City

Parents: Harry & Eleanor K

Sibling: Sylvia P.   

Harry and Eleanor immigrated separately in the early 1900’s; he from Lithuania and she from Russia. In the 1930’s Harry was a shoe salesman and by 1940 he was the proprietor of Steins Department Store in the heart of Old Redford, Lahser and Grand River.  Steins was located in the former Peoples State Bank building. They were related to Bernard Stein, also on the memorial plaque, killed in the war; the father of Bernard worked at Steins who lived just up the road on Lahser. Meyer’s family lived at 17685 Cooley.

Meyer graduated from Redford in 1936 and went on to complete 3 years of college. He was on the S.S.C.J. Barkdull when it left New York on Dec 12, 1942. An American merchant ship sailing under the Panamanian flag, the C.J. Barkdull was a steam tanker hauling 60,186 barrels of oil, and was one of 42 vessels that made up convoy UGS-3. They were bound for Casablanca and Gibraltar. There were 38 Merchant Mariners and 20 U.S. Navy Armed Guard on board as the Barkdull left New York. Almost immediately the tanker fell back from convoy not able to keep up. They never arrived at their destination and on January 30, 1943 the War Shipping Administration reported that the ship was ‘long overdue and presumed lost as a result of enemy action.” Nothing was ever found of the ship or the men. These are the known facts. Although there are many theories and much speculation as to the fate of the Barkdull what actually happened is unknown. It was thought for a time that German submarine U-632 had torpedoed the tanker, but that’s now discounted and Barkdull is no longer listed as a hit for that sub. It appears that she may have sustained damage in a minor collision during convoy formation and then heavy weather took the damaged ship down. The 58 men on board all died in service to their country.

 

Sadly no photos were found nor is there a grave marker with which to remember Meyer.

HIGGINSON, ROBERT C. Feb 21, 1945 age 26 DNB Arkansas

ROBERT COLIN HIGGINSON  b. Oct 18, 1918 Leichester, England d. Feb 21, 1945 Died Non Battle Blytheville Air Field, Arkansas

Aviation Cadet 36866060 Army Air Force 2 111^th Base Unit

Buried Grand Lawn Cemetery, Detroit

 

Parents: Robert & Sarah (Smyth)

Sibling: Bernard W. 
Spouse: Marion B.S. Biggar 
 

More immigrants from England! They immigrated via the Canada route in 1928 at Niagara Falls. Sarah’s father lived in Canada. In Detroit both father a son Robert worked as welders for a trailer manufacturer. Their Detroit homes where they lived, dreamed, hoped, along with that of young Robert and Marion, are all gone populated now by overgrown grass.

 

Marion 1935

Robert 1936

 

 

Robert graduated from Redford in 1936. His yearbook motto was “Good luck never comes too late”. Soon to be wife Marion graduated in 1935. He went on to two years of college. When he registered for the draft in Oct 1940 he was 5’7”, 145 lbs with blue eyes and red hair.  That same month he married Marion who was born in Scotland.

Stationed at Blytheville Army Air Field in Arkansas, ARK he was in their Pilot School (Advanced, Two Engine).About the same time in 1942 became a US citizen. He flew an AT-10, cruicial in the training of airmen intended for large aircraft as it stood as a stepping stone to operational level bombers and transport types of equal or larger size.

AT-10

He was the pilot on #42-34849 KSSP – killed, stall/spin.

BAMMEL, RALPH G Dec 1944 age 29 DNB/KIA France

RALPH GEORGE BAMMEL  b. Oct 16, 1915 Detroit d. 1944 Died Non Battle/Killed In Action France

S Sgt 26541783 Army 10^th Armoured Div, 20^th Arm Inf Bn

16615 Monica

Buried Holy Cross Cemetery, Marine City, Michigan

Parents: John L. & Christine (Britz)

Sibling: Bernie   

A family all born in Michigan, including the Christine’s two younger sisters who lived with the family in 1920. John worked as a foreman in an auto plant. He raised his family in a neighborhood near University of Detroit.  Summers were spent in Marine City where they had family.

Ralph graduated from Redford in Jan 1934 and worked as a shipping clerk for Ford Motor Co. Among the first to registerefor the the draft in Oct 1940 he was 6’ tall, 185 lbs with brown hair (eyes described on his draft registration as ‘other’).

The 10^th Armored Division entered France through the port of Cherbourg Sept 23, 1944 and put in a month of training at Teurtheville, France before entering combat. They were under General George S. Patton. After leaving Teurtheville Oct 25 they moved to Mars-la-Tour where they entered combat Nov 2. They advanced eastward along the Moselle River Valley but were diverted to the north when the Germans launched the Battle of the Bulge.

On Dec 13, 1944 a memorial mass was held for Ralph in Marine City.

MCALLISTER, WILFRED April 5, 1944 age 25 DNB Romania

WILFRED BRANDON MCALLLISTER  b. Dec 11, 1919 Lambton, Ont., Canada d. April 5, 1944   Died Non Battle Ocnito, Romania

1^st Lt O-743146 Army Air Corps 451^st Bomb Group 727^th Bomb Squad

 

 

Buried: Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia

Parents: Harry & Harriett (Booth)
Siblings: George, Melvin, Francis   
 

The entire McAllister family (excepting Francis who was born later) crossed the border from Canada in 1927. They were born in Canada. Their father has crossed previously and had an address of 15107 Bentler. He worked as a metal finisher in the auto factory. The family house at 15107 Bentler is gone.

 



Basketball 1935

R Club 1935

Wilfred was very active at Redford in clubs and sports before his graduation in June 1937. He attended Wayne State for 2 years then enlisted in the Army Air Corps July 23, 1941, 5’7” 149 lbs. 

 

April 5, 1944 he was the pilot of B-24 'Craven Raven' #42-52103 flying out of Italy headed for Ploesti. A ring of refineries around Ploesti supplied a larger portion of gasoline and high-octane aviation fuel for Germany. The Allies were finally able to mount sustained attacks on Ploesti when airbases in Italy became available in April 1944. The 15^th Air Force started the offensive April 5^th when it dispatched 235 B-17s and B-24s to Ploesti.



Possibly Craven Raven viewfrom German Gun Camera

The 451^st formation was to be comprised of eight planes each from 724^th and 725^th Squadrons and nine planes each from the 726^th and 727^th Squadrons. The 727^th was to form the third flight of the First Attack Unit with a lead box of four B-24s. Flying off the left wing of the second box was Craven Raven flown by Lt. Wilfred McAllister. The formation crossed into Yugoslavia and so far, so good. Then one of the pilots forming the box realized two of the planes behind him had turned from home and only Craven Raven remained behind him and they were falling further behind. German pilots had shot down all four B-24s in the low flight in less than 3 minutes. McAllisters plane exploded before he could escape with the crew who had bailed.

 

The legacy of the American air war in Romania is still with us into the 21^st Century as more than 80 flyers who perished in the raid and related missions remain unrecovered. Efforts are ongoing to identify, exhume and repatriate their remains. Wilfred was designated as Died Non Battle. He is buried with S Sgt Robert J. Wood, Killed in Action; I don’t know why there is a difference. The two crewmen were reburied in Arlington Feb 22, 1950. The grave is next to that of Wilfred’s brother, Melvin.

 

Major Karl Rammelt led German Attack

MESSINGER, JACK M. Aug 10, 1944 age 22 KIA St. Lambert Field

JACK M. MESSINGER  b. Nov 11, 1922 Michigan d. Aug 10, 1944 Killed in Action

St. Lambert Field, France

1^st Lt O-755989 Army Air Corps 430^th Fighter Squad 474^th Fighter Group

 
Buried Normandy American Cemetery, France

 

Parents: Monroe & Isabelle (Macleod)

1940 Redford Glee Club

Sibling: Robert M.

 Father Monroe was born in Pennsylvania and mother in Canada. Monroe was an assistant manager at a Metal manufacturer.  Jack was on the 1937 Alpha Honor Roll at Redford. After he graduated he attended University of Michigan.

Jack enlisted on Armistice Day 1942, his birthday. With the 474^th Fighter Group he flew out of, Saint Lambert Field in Normandy. It was a temporary airfield established shortly after D-Day on July 22, 1944. It was only in use for 2 months in the summer of 1944. Currently there is no evidence of its existence.

 

 

Saint Lambert Airfield Quarters Summer 1944

Take off at 10:00 am St. Lambert field. Lt. Messinger was flying number three position in a four ship flight. Upon returning from the mission, in the approach to the runway Lt. Messinger came in too close behind the number two man. Wheels and flaps were fully down on his plane when it hit a prop wash from the preceding planeThe left wing went down and he evidently applied the throttles to correct the plane’s altitude. The plane did a complete roll to the left ladning extremely hard right side up. It threw the plane into a barrel roll. When the plane hit the ground flat the wings broke splitting the gas tanks. It was completely destroyed in the resulting fire- 12:45 pm.



Lt Messinger - Hells Bell

Lt. Messinger was awarded the Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross with 6 Oak Lead Clusters, and Purple Heart. He flew 40+ combat missions over enemy territory.

LONG, JOHN W. JR. Aug 8, 1945 age 22 DNB Leyte, PI

JOHN WILLIAM LONG, JR. b. Dec 19, 1922 Detroit d. Aug 8, 1945 Died Non Battle

Dulag Strip, Leyte, PI

2^nd Lt O-2024078 Army Air force 63^rd Squad 403^rd Troop Carrier Group

Buried Manila American Cemetery, Philippines

Parents: John W. Long & Louise Margaret (Dailey)

According news in a wartime edition of Redford’s Outpost newspaper, “A C-47 transport plane pilot, Lt. John W. Long Jr., a Redford High graduate and overseas 16 months, was killed in a plane crash, August 8 on Leyte."

However,  Aviation Archaeological Research accident report for the crash is n a Stinson L-5 plane Serial #42-98700 Squad 9AES Group 571 ASG, pilot Long, John W Jr. PHI Dulag Strip, Leyte. His headstone Record lists 2 Lt 63 SQ 403 Trp Carr Go. Both have date of death as Aug 8, 1945.

The 9 AES (Aeromedical Evacuation Squad) purpose was to evacuate wounded military personnel and civilians from areas of danger to medical facilities using military transport aircraft.  They flew Douglas C-47’s. The ASG is Air Service Group, a designation changed in June 1942 from Air Base Groups.

But what happened in either case is the same: Lt Long, pilot, crash landed following mechanical trouble at the Dulag Strip field. 4 dead.

John Sr. and Louise Margaret were not together formuch time past the birth of son John. While trying to ensure the correct John Long is found, it seems they married 16 July 1922 in Fulton, Ohio. One record indicates John Sr. was born in Ohio, but a later census states he was Canadian.

Meanwhile Louise was busy. Whatever happened to John Sr., Feb 1930 had her marry Harold Crowell and at the census she and her son live with Crowell at 17387 Kentucky St .  but in 1935 they lived in Halifx, Nova Scotia (a possible link to John Sr. being Canadian born?) Then she divorces Harold  in 1939 and marries David Wenzel; in the 1940 census she and John live with him at 16265 Monica. She died 1985 in Florida, last name still Wenzel.

 John Jr registered for the draft on June 28, 1942 and notes his birth date as Dec 19, 1922, same year his parents married. He was 120 lbs, blue eyes, blonde hair and 5’6”. His notify party is Mrs. H.C. Cloutier. This turns out to be Mabel Dailey Cloutier, sister to Louise who lived at 14511 Strathmoor. As her sister, she was also married previously, but only two total marriages. Not wanting to read too much out of an item, it is curios when a person uses non-family for notify party, especially in a situation of unstable family relationships.

 

Unfortunately the activities' of John’s mother Louise are more easily tracked than those of John.

  

COOPER, JAMES June 9, 1944 age 21 MIA/FOD Adriatic

JAMES M. COOPER  b. 1925 Illinois d. June 9, 1944 Missing in Action/Finding of Death

North Adriatic Sea

2^nd Lt O-817853 Army Air Force Group H 772^nd Bomber Squad 463^rd Bomber Group Heavy

 

Buried Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, Tablets of the Missing, Italy

Parents: Manson M. & Margaret Frances (Mercer)

Sibling: John Charles ‘Jack’

18433 Burgess

17757 Cooley

So little is known of James Cooper at Redford or of Lt. Cooper who flew for the Army Air Force. His parents were both born in Indiana and they made their way to Illinois where Jim was born then on to Michigan where Jack was born.  Once in Detroit they first lived on Philadelphia where they rented for $55/month, then moved to Burgess where the house was only $40/mo. The war found them in a lovely house on Cooley, behind the Methodist church on Grand River.

They flew a B-17 Flying Fortress #42-97724 pilot Capt Maj Doyle L. Russell, co-pilot Jim Cooper. It was a crew of 10. It was part of the 463^rd BG called ‘The Swoose Group’. They flew a mission to Munich, Germany and on the return were hit by flak and ditched in the Adriatic Sea. They were lost at 45 18N, 13 12E, over the north Adriatic. Body nonrecoverable, no further pursuit. MACR 5852.

 

He was awarded the Air Medal and Purple Heart.

 

GISNER, ROBERT J. Dec 10, 1944 age 25 POW Luzon

ROBERT JAMES GISNER  b June 27, 1917 Schenectady, NY d. Dec 10, 1942

Prisoner of War Central Luzon, Philippines

Torpedoman’s Mate 2c Navy USS Canopus AS 9

Buried Manila American Cemetery, Wall of the Missing, Philippines

15750 Rockdale

Parents: Isaac Leroy & Laura

Siblings: Walter, James Leroy

His family came to Detroit from New York State, the most common migration pattern for Michigan back in the 1830s. Isaac was a die worker. They lived in the house at 15750 Rockdale since the 1920s , and yes there is a boarded up house behind the overgrowth in the photo.



Robert attended Redford but his younger brother James is the one who shows up in photos playing the trombone in the band in 1940. Already in Aug 1935 Robert enlisted in the Navy. When the attack at Pearl Harbor happened he already completed a tour and immediately re-enlisted then was sent to the Philippines.



Navy Muster Roll

He served abroad the USS Canopus, a submarine support vessel. On Dec 7, 1941 the Canopus lay at Cavite Navy Yard as a tender to Submarine Squadron 20. In the days that followed the men worked day and night to repair ships damaged in the daily air raids in addition to keeping her brood of submarines at sea. With the Army falling back on Manila, Canopus sailed to Marveles Bay at the tip of Bataan on Christmas Day. Dec 29 she received her first direct bomb hit. A 500 pound armor piercing bomb penetrated all deck and exploded on the propeller shaft house. Six sailor were killed mostly from scalding and fires in the engine rooms and magazines. The men were buried at seas at the tip of Bataan. On Jan 1, 1942 she received a second direct bomb hit. This time a fragmentation bomb exploded near the top of the towering smokestack resulting in substantial damage to the ship and injuries to 16 men of the gun crews. The crew continued to care for the small craft and sent her men into battle in the improvised naval battalion which fought on Bataan.



USS Canopus AS 9

Disguised as a bombed out, listing, abandoned hulk, smoke pots were placed around the ship giving the appearance of an abandoned hulk by day while at night the ship hummed with activity. Her crew worked at a fevered pace repairing the smaller ships left behind and keeping the submarines in action.

Upon the surrender of Bataan on the night of April 8 the Canopus was ordered scuttled in Marveles Bay to deny her use to the enemy. She was backed off into deep water under her own power and then was laid to rest by her own men. Her crew were evacuated to Corregidor on Feb 12, 1942 and served with the Marines. Nearly all the crewmen were captured at the fall of Corregidor and spent the rest of the war in Japanese POW camps.

Robert went ashore April 10, 1942. He died as a POW from Beriberi Dec 10, 1942. He received a Purple Heart.

Earl Anderson was a crewman on the Canopus and a POW. He gave a vivid account of his experiences in a memoir: http://as9.larryshomeport.com/html/anderson.html

DEMERRITT, ROBERT P. June 26, 1945 age 20 KIA Japan

ROBERT PAUL DEMERRITT  b. July 30, 1924 Michigan d. June 26, 1945 Killed in Action Japan

S Sgt 36588295 Army Air Force 421^st Bomb Squad 504^th Bomber Very Heavy

Buried Honolulu Tablets of the Missing, Hawaii

Parents: Este Edward & Mabel Pauline (Paulson)

Siblings: William Edward, Doris Pauline, Sally Jean, Marjorie Irene, Anne Marie, Yvonne, step sister Elizabeth M. DeMerritt

12610 Stoepel

16708 Oakfield

Pauline was born in North Dakota. She married Este in Aug 17, 1923 and became mother to his daughter Elizabeth and soon added 7 more children. Este was a VP at Schiller Trucking Co.  They paid $81 monthly rent for the Stoepel duplex but in 1940 rented the Oakfield house for $45 a month. Perhaps the Depression years accounted for the big change in rents.

 
Robert graduated from Redford in June 1942 and did his draft registration in Dec of that year in Detroit. He was 18, 6’, 155 lbs with blue eyes and blonde hair.

His squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in Aug 1945, attacking major Japanese cities, causing massive destruction of urbanize areas. They also conducted raids against strategic objectives, bombing aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on Aug 14 when hostilities ended.

 

He was declared MIA June 26, 1945. The body was not recovered. Robert received an Air Medal w/three oak cluster, the Distinguished Flying Cross and Purple Heart.

 

MARKS, AUGUST P. May 31, 1945 age 21 DNB Lake Lucerne

AUGUST PETER MARKS, JR  b Mar 14, 1924 Detroit d May 31, 1945 Died Non Battle

Lake Lucerne, Victorville, California

2^nd Lt 2064979 Army Air Corp March Field, CA



Gus 1936

 

Buried Grand Lawn Cemetery, Detroit

Parents: August P. & Adelle

Sibling: Anna
 

His parents were both born in Lithuania/Russia, but spoke Polish, immigrating about 1912/3. They came from another area of evolving countries. Their name originally was Markewicz, but it was changed in 1939 to Marks. In 1930 Father August was a machinist in an auto factory but in WWII he served at Camp Custer in Battle Creek in the Quartermaster Corps Training School for Teamsters.



Gus with Anna



Young Gus graduated from Redford in 1942 and June of that year registered for the draft in Detroit. Tall at 6’1”, 175 lbs with brown eyes and black hair. He served as an Aviation Cadet at the Pampa Air Field in Pampa, Texas.He had some striking photos taken of himself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gus with Girlfriend

 

In June 1944 he was honorably discharged to accept the commission of 2^nd Lt at March Field, Riverside, CA as a training pilot. He was in a B-25 Mitchell Bomber on a training flight over bombing ranges north of the San Bernardino Mountains when the plane crashed and he was killed.

AUSTIN, EDWARD L. June 7, 1945 age 20 MIA Saipan

EDWARD LEON AUSTIN  b. June 14, 1925 Michigan d. June 7, 1945

Missing in Action Saipan

2^nd Lt. O-2076496 Army Air Corps 421^st BS 504^th BG #5 Very Heavy

Buried Memorial Tablet of the Missing, Honolulu

Parents: John & Ruth (Keller)

Sibling: Bernice   

High School 1943

Spouse: Margaret Dolores Thornton


Parents came from Arkansas & Missouri, repeating that common migration trail looking for work in Detroit’s burgeoning auto factories. In 1930 John was a laborer in an auto factory but by 1940 he had a more specialized position as a trimmer. Ruth was the manager of an apartment house. Their home addresses don’t place them near the high school, but possibly Edward took the bus across town to Redford.

He graduated January 1943 and registered that same year on his birthday for the draft in Detroit. He worked with the Army Map Service was 137 lbs, 5’9” with brown eyes and black hair. Already in the Air Corps, he married Margaret Dolores Thornton in Detroit Jan 22, 1945. They had an all too brief war time marriage; Margaret remarried 1947.

B-29 over Japan

He served in the Army Air Force with the 504^th Bomber Group, Very Heavy, 421^st Bomber Squad. Because of aircraft availability initial training missions were flown with Boeing B-17 Flying fortress aircraft. Once the squadron completed training it moved to Tinian in the Mariana Island in the Central Pacific in January 1945. Its mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese Home Islands and the destruction of Japan’s war-making capability.

Mission 189 – 409 B-29’s escorted by 138 FC-P-51’s attacked Osaka with 2, 592 tons of incendiary bombs. Two B-29’s and on P-51 are lost. The crew of B-29 #42-24834, Albatross, commanded by Capt James B. Collier, departed from Tinian June 7, 1945. Edward was the radar operator on the crew of 11.

From MACR 15700 report: Everything seemed quite normal. No-one realized that the fuel was so low. At 1915k without warning, Number 2 engine backfired, was out of fuel, and was feathered. The airplane commander told the men in the back to prepare to bail out. He then started calling his distress to Lotus Tower on VHF Channel “B”. No use of the regular emergency frequencies was made. At 1935K Number 3 engine was out of fuel, and the men in the back stated to bail out. The pilot asked the navigator to give the radio operator a position report to send, but it was discovered that the radio operator had already left the plane. At the start of the bail out the altitude was 3500 ft, IAS 170 miles per hour. Preparation for Bail Out: Bomb-bay doors were opened and wheels were let down. The crew fastened their parachutes and secured their one-man rafts to their parachutes.

Bail-Out – Personnel: In back, the gunner went first from the rear bomb-bay, followed by the left gunner and the right gunner. Bail out of tail gunner unknown. In front, the radio operator and the navigator left through the front bomb-by. The radar operator probably left by the front bomb-bay. The bombardier, engineer, co-pilot, and airplane commander went through the nose wheel well in that order.
The sea was rough with 10 ft. swells. 4 crew members were MIA, 2 KIA; remainder returned to duty. 

PLACE, RICHARD L Nov 18, 1944 age 21 MIA/FOD North Italy

RICHARD LELAND PLACE  b. July 23, 1923 Detroit d. Nov 18, 1944

Missing in Action/Finding of Death North Italy

2^nd Lt O-710167 US Air Force 57th Fighter Group 66th Fighter Squad

Buried Oak View Cemetery, Royal Oak, Michigan

8853 Birwood

16524 Glastonbury

 
Parents: Leland Fulton & Grace M
Sibling: Robert Raymond   
 

Leland was born in New York. In 1930 in the family home at 8853 Birwood they had a 14 year old boarder from Scotland living with them in the duplex they owned. The census only gives the bare facts, no background explanation. Leland was a purchasing agent. They later lived in Rosedale Park, 16524 Glastonbury.

Ford Trade School 1941

Robert graduated from Redford, then went to Ford Trade School. The school was based on Henry Ford’s belief of young boys learning by doing.  He received a degree in mechanical engineering from the Edison Institute of Technology when it was a private educational school, before it evolved into Greenfield Village and museum.  When he registered for the draft June 29, 1942 the 5’10”, 155 lb grown eyes brown haired young man worked at Lincoln Motors. He entered the service in Feb 1943.  

 

He was stationed at Aloe air Field, Victoria, TX where he did advanced single-engine training for fighter pilots. Robert flew a P-47D #44-20119 as a Thunderbolt fighter pilot attached to a pursuit squadron. On Nov 18, 1944 he flew out of  Grossoto Main airport in Italy on a strafing pass in Northern Italy.  Lt. Place flew too close to the tree tops and caught his belly tank on a tree. The tank was ripped off and burned. The ship hit the ground flat and skidded quite a distance over an open field. It came to rest near a road where the remains of the ship caught fire and burned. According to an eyewitness report from another plane, there was a slight possibility that the pilot got out. The account from the lead plane of the group was that the pilot was not seen to leave the aircraft. Lt. Place had been overseas one month.

 

 

 

 

 

A memorial solemn high mass was sung for him at St. Mary’s of Redford on April 5, 1945.

A military reburial service was held Nov 27, 1949 at Oak View Cemetery.