Eugene McKee was born at Excelsior Springs, Clay County, Missouri in 1922. His parents were Ray McKee (21 Nov 1896 20 Jun 1949), who was born in Illinois; and Sadie Elizabeth (Slover) McKee (abt 1897 unk), who was born in Missouri. His parents married at Lawson, Ray County, Missouri on October 15, 1915. He had at least eight siblings: Ivan Dean McKee (20 Apr 1918 26 Dec 1979), Mary Frances (McKee) Cates (24 Mar 1920 Sep 1992), Alice Marie McKee (5 Sep 1925 14 Apr 1926), Forrest Ray McKee (18 Feb 1928 29 May 1990), Betty Lou (McKee) Long (1 Apr 1930 unk), Norma Lee (McKee) Love (1933 unk), Roy Dell McKee (14 Aug 1935 unk), and Patricia Ann (McKee) Durbin (23 Mar 1938 unk). In 1940 the family lived just north of the Missouri River near Camden in rural Ray County, Missouri, near Kansas City. Ray McKee was a farmer.
Eugene McKee completed Army Air Forces radio operator and gunnery training, and was assigned as radio operator on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Doyle E. Simons. In December 1943 the Simons crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field in Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944 the crew was assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 combat crew training, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. The crew flew B-24H 41-29479 'The Big Bad Wolf' from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry routea journey of about 10,000 milesand arrived at Lavenham by mid-April 1944.
The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After the Group arrived in England, Lt Simons was grounded with appendicitis, and was replaced as First Pilot by 2/Lt Lorin D. McCleary Jr.
On May 11, 1944, the McCleary crew took off from Lavenham in B-24H 42-52444 on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Chaumont, France. The secondary target was Troyes. The 487th Bomb Group formation never reached the target. Navigational error resulted in the formation flying over accurate German flak guns guarding the airfield at Chateaudun, France. S/Sgt McKee and eight of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by flak over Chateaudun. The aircraft took a direct flak hit in the nose and flight deck and started burning at the engines. It went into a dive, exploded in the air, and crashed 3 kilometers east of Varize, France, near Bazoches-en-Dunois. One man, Staff Sergeant Harold E. Owens, survived. He wrote: "At approximately 1145 we were hit by flak in the nose, which resulted in the death of Lt Victor Kramer, navigator, Sgt Paul Churm, top turret gunner, and S/Sgt Eugene McKee, radio operator. The plane immediately burst into flames, we were flying at an altitude of approximately 11,000 feet, a few seconds later the plane started into a dive, and exploded in mid air, with the result that I was blown clear of the plane. I managed to pull my ripcord and landed eight miles north of Chateaudun, France. I made a safe landing and at a distance of one quarter of a mile I saw the plane completely wrecked and on fire. I was the only member of the crew who parachuted to safety. I did not go near the plane because I knew the bombs had not exploded. I hid in the woods and about five minutes later the bombs exploded."
The dead were recovered by German troops, who buried them at the Grand Cimetiθre in Orleans, France. After the war, S/Sgt McKee's remains were reinterred at Epinal American Cemetery, France.
B-24H 42-52444 crew:
McCleary, Lorin D 2/Lt Pilot KIA
McCoy, Ernest E 2/Lt Copilot KIA
Kramer, Victor S 2/Lt Navigator KIA
Perry, Joseph D 2/Lt Bombardier KIA
Owens, Harold E S/Sgt Engineer POW
McKee, Eugene S/Sgt Radio Operator KIA
Frey, Arthur C Sgt Nose Turret KIA
Churm, Paul K Sgt Top Turret KIA
Barboza, Clemente M Sgt Ball Turret KIA
Knapp, Dale L Sgt Tail Turret KIA
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov