During a mission to the oil refineries at Labejum, Germany when they were attacked by groups of enemy fighters. They crashed near Eisleben, Germany. Only the Bombardier survived.

B-17 'Kidley Divey' #42-102426

8 Killed in Action 11 Sept 1944

Pilot: 2nd Lt. William McIlonie, ND Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery

Co-pilot: 2nd Lt. Ezra Loyd, LA Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery

Navigator: 2nd Lt. Stanley Sobotik, TX Margraten

FE/top turret gunner: T/Sgt. Paul Garman, IA Margraten

Radio Operator: S/Sgt. Douglas Fulkerson, MO Margraten

Ball turret gunner: Sgt. James Sheehan, NY Holy Cross Cemetery

Waist gunner: Corp. Howard Bohn, OK Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery

Tail gunner: Corp. Elmer Kirby, NJ Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery

Bombardier: F/O Ralph Anderson (Prisoner of War);

Can you help? To learn more about the national effort to compile the stories of ALL the 400,000+ US World War II fallen, visit https://www.storiesbehindthestars.org.

James E Sheehan Jr