Donald Bigelow Filler was born on June 2, 1922 in Jones, Oklahoma. His NARA enlistment record states he enlisted at Oklahoma City on March 3, 1942 as a private in the Army Air Corps. It also states he had completed 4 years of high school, was single with no dependents, and that his civilian employment had been in the decorators and window dressers occupation.

He was selected for flight training, and completed both basic and advanced pilot training. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, he was assigned to an operational unit for combat training, including formation flying, target recognition, and navigational practice. He became the leader of a combat replacement crew that was assigned to England in late 1943.

Arriving at Knettishall, England the crew was assigned to the 563rd Bomb Squadron of the 388th Bomb Group. After transitional training, the crew began combat missions. Of the first eleven missions they flew, seven were aborts, for either mechanical troubles or weather conditions.

On March 23, 1944, the crew was assigned to fly as part of the low squadron in an attack on the aircraft factories located at Brunswick, Germany. The bomber formation arrived at the enemy coast early, missed the fighter escort, and flew to the target with no fighter protection.

Approximately 40 enemy aircraft attacked the formation, concentrating on the low squadron. Two B-17s were shot down, and Filler's aircraft was severely damaged. With # 1 engine ablaze, the crew bailed out. One chute did not open, and four other crewmen did not survive the jump. Five of the crew survived and were captured.

Donald is now buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium. He was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, airforce.togetherweserved.com