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Woehrle Charles Boyd

Name:
Charles Boyd Woehrle
Rank:
First Lieutenant
Serial Number:
O-733394
Unit:
509th Bomber Squadron, 351st Bomb Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
2015-03-25
State:
Minnesota
Cemetery:
Oakland Cemetery, Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota
Plot:
Block: 70 Lot: 165
Row:
Grave:
Decoration:
Comments:

1st Charles Boyd Woehrle, bombardier of the B-17 42-2838 “The Concho Clipper”, took off from station 110 Polebrook, UK on a bombing mission over Saint Nazaire’s submarine pens along “Flak Alley”. Over the target and harassed by Fw-190 fighters, they had just released their payload when an 88mm flak shell burst in the bomb bay, killing three gunners and the radio operator. The pilot dove to extinguish the ensuing fire in both right engines but could not regain control. The order was given to bail out and the plane subsequently crashed in two main pieces. All the survivors were taken prisoner. Woehrle was taken prisoner and sent to Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan-Silesia. The New York Times did a piece on him you can read at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/fashion/a-prisoner-a-watch-a-war-story.html?_r=3&scp=1&sq=charles%20woehrle&st=cse&.