Earl Sullivan Melville was born on November 27, 1916 in Oregon. He was the son of Frank Mel Melville and Ann M. Sullivan Melville. He entered the service on March 7, 1942, after completing 4 years of college. The same source indicates his civil occupation was in the field of hotel and restaurant managers.

He first appears as a pilot and crew commander assigned to the 560th Bomb Squadron of the 388th Bomb Group, stationed at Knettishall (Air Station 136) England. He and his crew had flown 10 combat missions.

On September 6, 1943, he was selected to participate in the planned raid on German war industries at Stuttgart, German. His was the lead aircraft of the 22 that the 388th put up that day. Before the day was over, 11 of the bombers lay in smoldering wreckage on the continent of Europe, and 2 others had aborted for mechanical reasons.

Mellville's aircraft was attacked by several German fighters. The left wing was set ablaze, and #1 engine caught fire. There evidently was a fire in the nose compartment as survivors state that Melville asked the radio operator to come forward, help fight the fire, and to man the nose gun.

Observers in other aircraft state they witnessed several parachutes from the burning plane, one of which was collapsed by a German fighter, allowing the occupant to fall to his death. The aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Vosges, France. German reports 7 bodies were recovered and buried in the local village cemetery.

Lt. Mellville was recovered after the war and is now buried in the Normandy American Cemetery in France. 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