Malcolm R. McInnis Malcolm R. McInnis was born in Texas on January 18, 1926. No NARA enlistment record could be found but such information as could be found points to enlisting rather than being drafted, and his military career indicates he probably joined in 1943.

After basic training, he was sent to aerial gunnery school. Upon completion of this course, he was sent to an operational training unit to receive combat crew training and further aerial gunnery training. He was sent to England, arriving in late 1944, and assigned to the 388th Bomb Group. Here, he was assigned as tail gunner on the crew of Lt. Wayne W. Daniels of the 563rd Bomb Squadron at Knettishall, England.

The crew flew their first combat mission on November 6, 1944, aboard a B-17 # 43-38655 (unnamed.) Their second mission came on November 11, flying a B-17 # 43-37896, nicknamed "Forever Amber." On November 26, 1944, their third and final mission was scheduled aboard B-17 # 44-6626, nicknamed "Thunderbird."

The mission was against the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany. The B-17 was struck by flak in the forward fuselage while entering the bomb run. Smoke instantly filled the cockpit, and the pilot rang the bail out alarm as the bomber left the formation. Suddenly, it exploded. Six of the crew were flung into the sky from the explosion while the remainder were either killed or trapped. The aircraft crashed 6 miles northeast of Hamm. Some observers state the parachuting crew dropped through the following formation, and at least one parachute collapsed.

Six of the crew were found and captured by German troops. Evidently, some bodies were recovered from the wreckage or in the vicinity. At least two of the crew are buried in the Netherlands Cemetery at Margraten, Holland. Malcolm is now buried in the Greenleaf Cemetery, Brownwood, Brown County, Texas, USA. 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, airforce.togetherweserved.com