Euel T Drake

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  • Original author: Fold3_Team
  • Created Date: 27 Nov 2008
  • Modified Date:
  • Page views: 359 total (3 this week)

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Death of Euel T. Drake

| Rengershausen, Germany

Euel T. Drake (*1922, Lacon/ Alabama) was a member of the 452nd Bomb group (squadron 730) during world war II. On March 22 1944 they got the order to attack an allied oil raffinery in Brunswick, Germany. Their plane "Duchess of Fubar" took of in Norwich/ England. 3o minutes west of Brunswick their were attacked by 20 Focke-Wulf FW 190 and 3 Messerschmitt Bf 109. The plane were hit severley around 11:30 am. Drake, gunner in the ball turret was hit by a 20mm and injured heavily. According to his crew members the gunfire obviously jammed the turret so that the door was blocked. When the attack was over the crew got no answer from Sgt. Drake. The plane sunk rapidly to the ground and 8 of the 10 crew members bailed out of the plane. Drake was left in the turret, another injured soldier (Sgt. Morris F. Weltzien) bailed out injured but died. He was found without having opened his parachute. The 8 survivors got arrested by the german army; Euel T. Drake was buried on March 23 1944 on the municipal cemetery of Rengershausen.

Source: accident report# 3551, April 24 1944, Headquarters Army Air Force Washington

PS: I was born in Rengershausen and I own a copy of the stated report. Descendants and relatives of Euel T. Drake or Morris F. Weltzien can contact andrerules90@hotmail.com

 

Comments

I am one niece of Euel Thomas Drake's family. I just found this post and secured membership in the Fold3 group. My uncles and aunts rarely spoke of Euel's service in WWII. Finding this information has been somewhat comforting understanding "why". Euel Thomas Drake was born in Vinemont, Alabama, which is in Cullman county, Alabama. He is the first son born to William Amel Drake and Nora Wilhite. A marker is placed by his father and mother's gravesites at Flint Creek Cemetery off County Road 1354 in Vinemont, Alabama. I have been told one of Euel's brothers, Hansel, naively enlisted in the service to find his brother and bring his brother's body home, characteristic of a southern boy's pride and love for his family.

21 Nov 2012