Ellsworth Jerome Seesz was born on January 20, 1917 in Renville County Minnesota to Edward and Ella Steffenson Seesz. He was the oldest of four children. His parents were both born in Minnesota and his father worked as a policeman.

He had enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in April 1942 from Minnesota. Served during World War II. Seesz had the rank of Sergeant. Service number assignment was 37268004. He was attached to 79th Air Service Group, 84th Service Squadron.

He died in the "Line Of Duty" on July 19, 1944 when the B-17, #42-102937 "Ready Freddie", that he was a passenger in, clipped a warning beacon on the tower and rolled over on its back and hit the 83rd Fighter Squadron barracks while trying to land at Duxford Airfield, England.

Sgt. Ellsworth Jerome Seesz is buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. This is a National American Cemetery administered through the Department of Veteran's Affairs.

Fourteen airmen perished in this accident. Four Crew Members on the B-17, 9 passengers on the B-17, and 1 airmen in the barracks. (see below).

Bradburn, Francis J ~ T/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, Maryland

Edwards, Wilbur K ~ Pfc, Passenger, Missouri

French, Donald ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, Nebraska

Gorman, John D ~ T/5, Passenger, Washington

Hamilton, John F ~ Corp, Passenger, Pennsylvania

Heil, James A, Sr ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, Pennsylvania

Loguidice, Anthony C ~ Corp, Passenger, New York

Mintz, Victor L ~ 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, North Carolina

Putnam, John B, Jr ~ 1st Lt, Passenger, Ohio

Sasser, James D ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, Tennessee

Seesz, Ellsworth J ~ Sgt, Passenger, Minnesota

Smith, Martin H, Jr ~ 1st, Passenger, Iowa

Taylor, Ernest ~ Sgt, "In Barracks", Tennessee

Wojcicki, Frank L ~ Pvt, Passenger, Ohio

Sources: ( Bio & Listing by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett)

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/96541459:2442

https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=589502

This story became part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

Ellsworth J Seesz