Walter Charles Edlemann (1924 - 1943)

Born 9 Mar 1924 in Antioch, Lake, Illinois, United States

Died 28 Jul 1943 at age 19 in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

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Killed in Action

SSGT Walter Edlemann was Killed in Action during World War II.

SSGT Walter Edlemann served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started:
Unit(s): B-17 "Lady Susie II" 42-30257
Service ended: KIA Jul 28, 1943

Biography

Staff Sargent Walter Edlmann was born in Antioch, Illinois in 1924 to Simon & Marie (Weiner) Edlmann. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on August 14, 1942 in Chicago, Illinois. He was in manufacturing in his civilian life prior to the war. He listed himself as single, without dependents on his enlistment paperwork, meaning he likely was never married nor had any children. In the Air Corps he served as a Waist Gunner on at least 4 different B-17s. The B-17 that he served on last was B-17 Lady Susie II 42-30257. On July 28, 1943, The Lady Susie II was flying in a mission to bomb Oschersleben, Germany, along with 25 other B-17s. Brigadier General Elliot Vandevanter led a Group formation of 21 ships; five others from the Group went with a composite unit. The Group successfully completed their mission with 97% of all bombs falling within 1000 feet of their target. After the mission at 0910 hrs the outbound formation of bombers was intercepted by Fw190 fighters of II./JG 11 near the North Sea coast and after a 20 minute engagement claimed 12 B-17s. Luftwaffe pilot Unteroffizier Wilhelm Fest's rocket struck the navigator's compartment on the “Lady Susie II”, piloted by 1st Lt. William H Robbins and the aircraft lost control and collided with “Betty Boom” (42-3316) piloted by 2nd Lt. Wiliam Storr, and subsequently into the flight path of “Roundtrip Ticket” (42-30285) piloted by 2nd Lt. John H Noel Jr. All three aircraft went down into the North Sea west of Sylt, near the island of Helgoland (54°30'0"N / 7°45'0"E). The bodies of the 26 deceased crewmen from all three aircraft washed ashore along the coastline into weeks of late August. Four crewmen survived the crash and were captured as POWs.

Walter received a Purple Heart for his bravery in service to his country.

Walter is buried at Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neuville-en-Condroz, Arrondissement de Liège, Liège, Belgium.

The 7 other men from B-17 Lady Susie II 42-30257 that died July 28, 1943, were;

1st Lt. William M Robbins Pilot

2nd Lt. Floyd M Hicks Co-Pilot

2nd Lt. William M Brick Navigator

2nd Lt. Irvin L Rodemeyer Bombardier

TSGT Hervin R Charest Radio Operator/ Gunner

SSGT Robert Daleus Ball-Turret Gunner

TSGT Joseph D McGarry Top-Turret Gunner

The 2 men from B-17 Lady Susie II 42-30257 that were captured as POWs were;

SSGT Leon C Ochs Waist Gunner

SSGT Lloyd D Atkins Tail Gunner

B-17 Lady Susie II 42-30257 was a part of the 385th Bomb Group, as well as the 548th Bomb Squadron.

The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Brigadier General Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9 October 1943, during which only two out of one hundred B-17s were lost and all of the buildings on the site were damaged or destroyed. They won two Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, awarded to all 4th Bomb Wing Groups, was for accurately dropping their pay load on an aircraft factory at Regensburg, on 17 August 1943 and the Group's second was awarded after leading a difficult long-range mission to destroy an aircraft repair works at Zwickau, south-west Germany, on 12 May 1944.

Walter participated in the following 4 missions as a Waist Gunner;

Mission No. 1 – 17 July – Target Amsterdam – 21 a/c flown.

Led by Lt. Col. Vandevanter, 21 of our ships set out for Nazi works in Amsterdam early this morning, and 21 ships returned, some slightly damaged by flak. Unfortunately, a heavy overcast prevented dropping bombs on the target.

Walter was in B-17 42-3308 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 2 – 24 July – Target Bergen – 21 a/c flown.

The mission objective was to demolish submarine pens in Norway. Major Preston Piper led 21 Fortresses over the target, and again a thick overcast prevented dropping the bombs.

Walter was in The Jolly Roger 42-5886 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 4 – 26 July – Target Wesermunde – 21 a/c flown.

Three aircraft were lost. Duncan, 42-30281, ditched in the North Sea, all 10 were KIA, MACR 191A. Harris, 42-5895 also ditched in the North Sea, 4 were KIA, 6 POW’s, MACR 191B. (Major Springfield was flying in Lt. Harris* ship.) Daniel, 42-30279, Black Jacker, crashed in Germany, 7 KIA, 3 POW, MACR 191C. The targets were Hanover and Wesermunde. Led by Captain McDonald, 21 of Fortresses left for the mission. Unpredicted weather conditions – heavy clouds, etc – partially broke up the formation over the continent and there followed what some described as one of the worst and hardest aerial battles to date. Gunners claimed 15 fighters downed, 8 “probable” and 9 damaged.

Walter was in the Raunchy Wolf 42-30249 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 5 – 28 July – Target Oschersleben – 26 a/c flown.

Another hard day. Our target was Oschersleben. Colonel Vandeventer led our Group formation of 21 ships; five others from our Group went with a composite unit.

97% of all bombs fell within 1000 ft. of the target.

Gurgel, 42-30179, Grim Reaper, crashed in Germany, 4 KIA, 6 POW, MACR 189A. Outbound over the North Sea. Robbins in Lady Susie II, 42-30257, collided with Storr in Betty Boom, 42-3316, and Noel in Round Trip Ticket, 42-30285. MACR’s 189B, C, D. Robbins crashed into the North Sea killing all onboard.

Walter was in the Lady Susie II 42-30257 that day and failed to return to base. This was his last mission.

Sources

• https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/aircraft/42-30257

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/person/walter-c-edlemann

https://www.385thbga.com/records/database/

https://www.385thbga.com/records/index-mission-number-to-date-and-target-2/mission-summaries/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56358005/walter-charles-edlmann

https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/35137/

"United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8G4-PNP : 5 December 2014), Walter C Edlmann, enlisted 14 Aug 1942, Chicago, Illinois, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.

"United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XSB4-65N : Thu Oct 05 03:43:24 UTC 2023), Entry for Mary Eidelman and Ann Eidelman, 1930.