1st Lt Harold Charles Becker, US Army Air Forces

Early Life

Harold Charles Becker was born on April 24, 1921 in Fennimore, Grant County, Wisconsin to Clarence and Edna (Eddington) Becker of Stitzer, Wisconsin. (1) Clarence’s occupation is listed as road contractor. Harold had two older sisters; Ruby Fry and Wilma Rumler. His younger siblings included Loren “Spider” who served in the Army Air Forces in World War II, Edward, Glen, Gilbert “Butch”, Evelyn Trollop, Phyllis Dempsey and Eileen Noble. (2)

Education

Harold “Bing” was a 1938 Graduate of the Fennimore High School in Fennimore, Wisconsin. According to one source he was a fine student and took an active part in athletics while attending high school. After high school he attended the Wisconsin Institute of Technology, Platteville, Wisconsin. He then was employed as a highway engineer by the Illinois Highway Commission in Peoria, Illinois. (3)

Military

Becker entered service in February 1942. He received a commission and graduated from the Aerial Navigators School at Hondo Army Air Field, Texas before being assigned to the 350th Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group, Thorpe-Abbotts, United Kingdom. (4) He had taken part in 23 missions in a B-17 prior to May 7, 1944.

Death

Lt Becker was killed during a mission over Berlin on May 7,1944 when the Flying Fortress, B-17 known as “Hard Luck II” had dropped its bombs over Berlin and was returning home. Lt Becker signaled with two fingers, indicating that in two minutes they would be flak free from enemy guns. It was then that “Hard Luck II” took a stray anti-aircraft shell burst wounding the bombardier and killing Becker instantly. Without its Navigator the plane was in danger of losing its way and going into the North Sea. It was then that a Thunderbolt, P-47 lead the plane and its crew back to England. More details of the mission can be found on the 350th Bomb Squadron’s web site (5)

Lt Becker is buried at the Cambridge Military Cemetery, England, Plot E. Row 1, Grave 24 (6)

Among his awards are the Purple Heart Medal and the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters.

Becker is remembered by plaques at Fennimore High School and what is now the University of Wisconsin-Platteville

1. Draft Registration Card

2. 1940 Census and family Find A Grave sites to include obituaries

3. Fennimore Times May 24, 1944

4. Capital Times June 8, 1943

5. https://www.100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=291&Itemid=122

6. http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/85585

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ 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.

If you noticed anything in the profile, you can contact me at mackolar@verizon.net.

Lt Harold C Becker