WW2 American Death Card of Lester R. Gillan (Pilot of a B-17)
Lester Was born on April 6th 1920 in Indiana. He attended Sugar plains grade school and then graduated from Thorntown High school in 1937. After attending college he enlisted in the Army Air Forces in 1941.
In March of 1943 he was stationed on a base in North Africa and became the Pilot of a B-17 (“Lady Be Good” 42-3341). In August he Received the Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster for meritorious achievement in flight. He would go on to complete 50 bombing runs.
On November 2nd 1943, Lester and his crew were part of a formation of B-17s from the 429th Bomb squadron, on a mission to bomb an aircraft factory in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. During the mission, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire and severely damaged. The aircraft crashed in Eltendorf. Out of the 10 crewmen, 6 were killed in action, 4 were able to bail out and were then captured as POWs.
•Pilot: 2nd Lt. Lester R. Gillan (KIA)
•Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. Frank D. Counihan (KIA)
•Navigator: 2nd Lt. Peter H. Diglio (POW)
•Navigator: 2nd Lt. Merideth D. Fink (POW)
•Flight engineer/top turret gunner: T/Sgt. Louis C. Hazay (KIA)
•Ball turret gunner: S/Sgt. Claude H. Denton (KIA)
Waist gunner: S/Sgt. Henry F. Reedy (KIA)
Waist gunner: S/Sgt. Anthony J. DeLatte (POW)
Tail gunner: S/Sgt. Howard L. Rees (POW)
Radio Operator: T/Sgt. Joseph R. Hagerman (KIA)
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