1st Lt. Newell Anderson (ASN 20925498 and O-2044931) was born on March 16, 1921 in Glenwood, Sevier, Utah. His father, Parley Anderson, was a native of Utah and his mother, Hattie Rozella Tuttle, was originally from North Carolina. His parents settled in Sevier County, Utah where his father was a farmer and raised sheep. Newell had an older brother, five older sisters, a younger brother, and a younger sister.

Newell grew up in Burrville, Sevier, Utah. He attended Sevier County schools in Koosharem, Monroe, and Richmond before graduating from Richmond High School in 1939. After graduation he worked on his father’s farm in Burville. On March 3, 1941 Newell enlisted in the Army National Guard in Field Artillery in Richfield, Utah.

In 1942 he began training with the US Army Air Corp as a pilot. He was assigned to the 55th Fighter Group in the 338th Fighter Squadron. The squadron had been recently formed as a P-38 Lightning fighter squadron and he trained in the Pacific Northwest. The P-38 was developed to provide long-range fighter escort for B-17 and B-24 bombers over occupied Europe and Nazi Germany. The fighter also introduced a second engine, which made it less vulnerable to anti-aircraft gunfire. Newell had become a proficient fighter pilot and by August 1943 he was assigned to the VIII Fighter command in England.

While in England he received medals for meritorious achievement, as well as an oak leaf cluster. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and was also a training instructor for the VIII Army Air Force.

On April 9, 1944 Newell was scheduled for another bomber escort mission. The weather was bad that day with a low overcast sky above the airport at Nuthampstead, England north of London. After takeoff, Newell had reported an engine out. Shortly after that his plane appeared out of the low overcast. It was observed that his drop tanks were still attached to his aircraft. He maneuvered his plane to avoid colliding with other aircraft on the runway before he crashed moments later with a loud explosion. Lt. Anderson was killed instantly. It was only seconds after his plane appeared from the clouds. Jettisoning his drop tanks would have increased his chances for a safe landing and surviving the crash, but it was assumed he did not release them because the low overcast made it difficult for him to see if there were people below him. He died trying to protect others instead.

Five days earlier on April 4, 1944 Newell’s mother, Hattie, had died peacefully at their home in Annabella, Utah. It is likely that Newell died having not received word of his mother’s death before his crash. On April 27, 1944 Newell’s father, Parley, had died from complications with diabetes. While the family was making preparations for the funeral, they received word that Newell had died in a crash on April 9, 1944. It was decided to hold a joint funeral for father and son. At the time of the funeral he was survived by all of his eight siblings. His brother, Dean, also served in the Army during WWII.

Lt. Newell Anderson’s body was buried with full military honors on April 11, 1944 at the Cambridge American Military Cemetery and Memorial in Colton, Cambridge, England. As part of the Repatriation of WWII Dead Program, Newell’s remains were shipped back home to Utah in July 1948. On August 2, 1948 he was laid to rest at the Annabella City Cemetery in Annabella, Sevier, Utah.

Sources:

1930 United States Federal Census
1940 United States Federal Census
U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1970
U.S., Cemetery Index from Selected States, 1847-2010
Utah, Death and Military Death Certificates, 1904-1961
Utah, Military Records, 1861-1970
Utah, Veterans with Federal Service Buried in Utah,1847-1966
++https://www.fold3.com/record/85386111-newell-anderson?xid=1945++
++https://www.fold3.com/image/310763707?rec=299449699&xid=1945++
++https://www.newspapers.com/clip/62959997/obituary-for-anderson-anderson/?xid=637++
++https://www.newspapers.com/clip/62959315/the-richfield-reaper/?xid=637++
++https://www.newspapers.com/clip/62959180/obituary-for-newell-anderson/?xid=637++
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/338th_Combat_Training_Squadron

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see 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 smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

1st Lt. Newell Anderson - KIA