Peter Frederick Stiles was born on April 7, 1921. He was the son of Robert Leonard Stiles and Helen Graham Carson Stiles. He was the husband of Violet Gilbert Stiles. He served in the 512th Bomber Squadron, 376th Bomber Group, as a Technical Sergeant and Flight Engineer of B-24D Liberator #42-40658 during World War II.

On December 28, 1943, the aircraft was lost during combat operations in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II while flying from San Pancrazio Airfield, Italy, on a mission to destroy the marshalling yards at Vicenza. During the attack, the bomber was badly damaged after being engaged by a German Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighter and was ultimately shot down near Monselice in the province of Padua. The aircraft was destroyed in the encounter, resulting in the deaths of four crew members, while the remaining airmen survived the loss.

TSgt Stiles was captured by enemy forces, taken prisoner of war, and held at Stalag 17B, Braunau Gneikendorf, Near Krems, Austria. He died on September 25, 1996, and is now buried in the West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, https://aviation-safety.net/