Paul Milton Stults was born on September 4, 1919 in Portland, Indiana. He was the son of Morris Ezra Stults and Pauline Andora Bechdolt Stults. Paul served in the 836th Bomber Squadron, 487th Bomber Group, Heavy as a First Lieutenant and Pilot of the B-17G 42-37840 during World War II.
In July 1944 the 487th Bomb Group transitioned from flying the B-24 'Liberator' to the B-17 'Flying Fortress'. On July 20, 1944, the Stults crew flew a training mission in one of the new aircraft, B-17G 43-37840. 1LT Stults and four other men aboard the B-17 perished when their aircraft collided with Lt Ozbolt's B-24H 42-51197, which was on a practice bombing mission at the Ducks Hall bombing range near Lavenham. The B-24 spun in and crashed near Cavendish, England. Five men died in the crash. Lt Stults, his left wing on fire, attempted to reach Lavenham Airfield, but crashed on approach to the base in a wheat field near the Officers Club and Clapstile Farmhouse. Lt Stults and Lt Thomas were thrown from the aircraft before impact, and their bodies were not found for some days.
1LT Stults is now buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA.
B-17G 42-37840 crew:
• Stults, Paul M – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Thomas Jr, Eldridge W – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Parris, Howard L – Lt – Navigator – Safe
• Heil, Charles A – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Walters, Lester R – 1/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Brown, Melvin R – T/Sgt – Engineer – Safe
• Schaffer, Charles L – Sgt – Radio Operator – Safe
• Knight, Frank M – Sgt – Gunner – Safe
• Brown, Julius E – Sgt – Gunner – Safe
• Castillo, Pete J – T/Sgt – Autopilot Mechanic – KIA
• Grantham, Russell A – Lt – Squadron Bombardier – Safe
Source of information: www.findagrave.com