Irvin Elwood Hughes was born on January 11, 1924, in Union Deposit, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Irvin Peter Hughes and Lottie Mae Neidig Hughes. He was the husband of Arlene Jeanette Thompson Hughes. He was a 1942 graduate of Palmyra High School. He served in the 365th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Waist Gunner of B-17G #42-97350 nicknamed 'Strictly from Hunger' during World War II.

On the morning of July 21, 1944, B-24 Liberator 42-97350 departed RAF Chelveston on a mission to bomb the Kugelfischer ball-bearing plant at Schweinfurt, Germany. While flying over southern Germany near the Swiss border, the aircraft was struck by heavy anti-aircraft fire and sustained three direct flak hits. Though reportedly still under control, the bomber left the formation, and the order to bail out was given. At approximately 13:10 hours, the crew successfully parachuted from the disabled aircraft. German records later confirmed that the Liberator crashed near Epfenhofen, approximately 2 kilometers northeast of Fützen and about 15½ kilometers south of Donaueschingen, where it was described as 94 percent destroyed. Several crew members were captured the same day in the Donaueschingen district, with another taken prisoner the following morning. Five others, who had also parachuted safely, were likewise captured. Instead of being treated as prisoners of war in accordance with international law, these five unarmed American airmen were murdered by local Nazi officials and collaborators near Urach and Schollach. A U.S. Military Government Court later examined the circumstances surrounding their deaths, convened at Dachau in April 1947. Evidence established that the airmen were deliberately executed in wooded areas near Winterwald after being taken into custody and initially buried in unmarked forest graves.

SSgt Hughes was captured by German forces at approximately 12:30 hours on the same day near Linach, Kreis Donaueschingen, about 34 kilometers northwest of the crash site. He was subsequently held as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow, Pomerania, Prussia. He was honorably discharged as a Technical Sergeant. He retired in 1986 after 33 years in management at Seltzer’s Bologna Company. He died on June 8, 2009, and is now buried in the Gravel Hill Cemetery, Palmyra, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, aircrewremembered.com, americanarchive.iwm.org.uk