Walter Jean Ziegele was born on January 3, 1919, in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. He was the son of Frank Ziegele and May D. Paulus Ziegele. He served in the 731st Bomber Squadron, 452nd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier of B-17G #42-31919 nicknamed “Evanton Babe” during World War II.

On March 6, 1944, the B-17G “Evanton Babe” (42-31919) of the 731st Bombardment Squadron, 452nd Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force, on return from a mission over Berlin, the aircraft was hit by flak and then attacked by fighters. When the pilot was unable to stop the intense fire in the number 4 engine, he told the crew to bail out due to imminent explosion. Although the engine fell off, the pilot managed to return to England and crashed at Metfield. Most crew members were captured on the ground near Emmen, Netherlands. 2LT Ziegele died when his chute failed. He is now buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.americanairmuseum.com, b17flyingfortress.de