Clyde Edward Hewitt, Jr. was born on March 8, 1921, in Chenoa, McLean County, Illinois. He was the son of Clyde Edward, Sr. and Lena (Montgomery) Hewitt.

Clyde Edward, Jr. served in the 423rd Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomb Group, as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator/Gunner on the B-17 #42-31388 during World War II.

On February 11, 1944, his crew took off from Station 111 airfield in Thurleigh, England, on a mission to Frankfurt, Germany. At 01:30 PM, their plane was hit by flak, attacked by fighters, and due to the possibility that the aircraft ran out of fuel, the crew bailed out of the plane. All members were able to evacuate, except for SSgt Coleman, who was killed during the attack. Their plane crashed into the town of Campremy, France.

Of the survivors, three of them were taken as prisoners, but the remaining evaded German capture, including TSgt Hewitt. He was one of the 152 allied airmen and soldiers who were helped and hidden in the Freteval Forest camp by the French Resistance to evade German capture. He returned to the UK on August 18, 1944.

TSgt Hewitt died on June 15, 1995, at the age of 74, in Valparaiso, Indiana. He is now buried in the Calvary Cemetery, Portage, Porter County, Indiana.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net