Fred Douglas Gleason, of San Gabriel, California, was born on December 30, 1922. He served in the 709th Bomber Squadron, 447th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Mechanic/Gunner on the B-17 #43-37788 during World War II.

On July 13, 1944, his crew took off from Station 126 airfield in Rattlesden, England, on a mission to bomb the BMW plant in Munich, France. At 10:55H, hit by flak and shot down by enemy fighters, their plane crashed near Vendrest - 18 km northeast of Meaux. There were no casualties recorded in this incident, but three crew members were captured by the Germans. The rests were able to escape the capture. TSgt Gleason landed near Boullarre and was aided by the maquis. 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.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net