The Shemwell Family

Edward A Troutman Obituary and Family Listing Rochester Sentinel - Tuesday July 11, 1944 KEWANNA MAN KILLED ON BOMBING MISSION OVER EUROPE MAY 29 Word has been received from the War Department by Mr. and Mrs. C. O. TROUTMAN of Kewanna, Ind., that their son, Staff Sergeant Edward A. TROUTMAN who was previously reported as missing in action over Germany on May 29th, is now listed as killed in action over Germany on May 29th. This information was received through the International Red Cross from the German government. Details were not given but they were advised that this would be received later. His parents previously lived in Gary, Ind., where he graduated from Horace Mann high school. He was employed at Inland Steel Co., prior to his enlistment in April 1942. He received his wings at the Flexible Gunnery School at Tyndall Field, Fla., and took a special training course in aircraft armament at Lowry Field, Denver, Colo. He received his final training as an aerial gunner and crew chief at Almagordo, New Mexico and was shipped overseas in December, 1943, where he was with the Royal Air Force. At the time of his death he was acting as bombadier on a B-24 Liberator. He received the Air Medal four Oakleaf Clusters and a citation and sent his Air Medal to his parents. ----------------------------------------------------------- Gunner S/Sgt. Edward A. Troutman KIA Hometown: Valparaiso, Indiana Squadron: 576th BS 392th Bomb Group Service # 35352584 Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart Pilot 1st/Lt. Ace W. Tyler KIA Target: Politz Germany MISSING AIRCREW REPORT: #05212 Date Lost: 29-May-44 Serial Number: #42-95136 Aircraft Model B-24 Aircraft Letter: "A" Aircraft Name: (NO NICKNAME) 7th Mission Location: near a village named Gueltz Cause: German fighters Crew of 10 9KIA 1POW This mission would be the first to this tough and heavily defended target - the oil refineries at Politz. The 392nd would suffer high casualties on this raid. The 578th and 577th were assigned lead with Bombardiers, Lieutenant Joachim and Captain Colburn, respectively. At 0430 and 0500 hours, (27) crews were briefed and at 0749 take-offs began. A total of (26) ships bombed the target area, releasing (260) 500# GP weapons, but good bombing was hampered by an effective smoke screen over the target and the ensuing fighter encounters. An estimated 75-100 enemy fighters attacked the Group comprised of about (75) single-engine ME-109s and FW-190s and (25) JU-88s and at least (1) twin-engine ME-410. The severe fighter attacks were encountered for about thirty-five minutes near the target between 1150 and 1225 hours. The Group lost (6) aircraft on this mission with many casualties MISSION LOSS CIRCUMSTANCES: A returning eye-witness reported, "ship turned over with two engines out, altitude 21,700", and no further details were related on this aircraft loss. A German Report KU #2086, Air Base Hqs at Greifewald reported that this plane had crashed near a village named Gueltz, and the railroad Demmin-Altentreptow, about 1145 hours, 29 May. The crew had been shot down by a fighter, and was 99% destroyed from an air explosion and fire engulfing unexploded bombs at the crash site. Nine (9) crew members were found dead and identified at the site above. One, the Navigator Lt. Bassett, who had bailed out successfully, was taken prisoner immediately in the area. It was reported that the prisoner was transferred the next day, 30 May, from the Commanding Officer at Tutow (Berlin area) to Oberursel (Dulag Luft). Local burial of the casualties was carried out. INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTS OF CREWMEN FATES/BURIAL RECORDS: Lt. Bassett, the only survivor, gave a brief account on a casualty interrogation (U.S.) form dated 27 July 1945. He stated that the plane had been attacked by enemy fighters and the nose section had been set afire; that he bailed out but saw no more parachutes coming down, although he was in a position to see them had others gotten out. That was the extent Df his report (in this MACR file record). German report of 1 June 44, message AF 965/64, Air Base Hqs Griefewald, 2/Ill gave account of the burials of the crew casualties: all were buried at the village of Gueltz, (800) meters from the Gueltz Estate, as recorded: Metz (Grave 1); MacDonald (Grave 3); Powell (Grave 4); Tyler (Grave 5); Troutman (Grave 6); Podolski (Grave 7); Blaida (Grave 8); Brown (Grave 9); and Ricci (Grave number not given). The Germans identified one of the deceased as Sgt Corbett X. Miller after they found his Soldier's Individual Pay Record. Although Miller was originally a member of 1/Lt Tyler's crew, he had been seriously wounded on the Hamm mission (April 22, 1944) and hospitalized. He was eventually returned home. Why his Pay Record was at the crash site is a mystery. U.S. National Cemetery records account for the following re-interments for certain members of this crew. These members were re-buried at the ARDENNES Cemetery, near Liege, Belgium: Podolski (Grave B-27-7); Metz (Grave D- 7-50); Blaida (Grave D-7-49) and Powell (Grave D-7-47). Podolski was awarded the Air Medal with (2) Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart; Metz and Blaida both an Air Medal with (1) Oak Leaf Cluster with Blaida's being also a posthumous Purple Heart, but the latter award not in the case of Metz; and Powell is noted to have an award of the Purple Heart, posthumously as well. No other record connected with the MACR exists as to the subsequent reburials of the other crew men. The #42-95136 crew 1st/Lt. Ace W. Tyler Pilot KIA 2nd/Lt. Joseph A. Ricci Co Pilot KIA 1st/Lt. Earl F. Bassett Navigator POW T/Sgt. George E. MacDonald Jr. Engineer T/Sgt. William Metz Radio Op. KIA S/Sgt. Paul D. Podolski Gunner KIA S/Sgt. John M. Blaida A Radio Op. KIA S/Sgt. Gilbert A. Brown Gunner KIA S/Sgt. Edward A. Troutman Gunner KIA Sgt. Marvin L. Powell Gunner KIA (Information contributed by Find A Grave member #47791572) https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67801484/edward_a_troutman