Melvin Gene Bybee was born at El Dorado, Butler County, Kansas on May 23, 1923. His parents were Bluford James Bybee (21 Dec 1899 – May 1973) and Gertrude Alice (Bridewell) Bybee (1904 – Oct 1980). He had an older brother, Clayton Logan Bybee (28 Sep 1921 – 16 Jul 2001); and a younger sister, Emily E. Bybee (abt Oct 1925 – unk). In 1930 the family lived on West Martin Street in El Dorado Springs, Cedar County, Missouri, and his father worked as a truck driver for a poultry house. In 1940 the family lived on North Main Street in El Dorado Springs, Missouri, and his father worked as a public school janitor. In 1942 the family lived at 1330 South Emporia Street, Wichita, Kansas, and Gene Bybee worked for Beechcraft Aircraft in Wichita. He registered for the draft at Stockton, Cedar County, Missouri on June 30, 1942, and entered the service from Kansas by 1943.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training, and was assigned as chin turret gunner and togglier on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Claude E. Gatlin Jr, in the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group (Heavy). His unit was based at Army Air Forces Station 137, near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. The Gatlin crew arrived at Station 137 by November 28, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
Sgt Bybee and his eight crewmates went missing in action on December 31, 1944, when their aircraft, B-17G 42-97398, went missing during a mission to Hamburg, Germany. After takeoff, the aircraft was never seen in formation, and the aircraft and crew were never found. They probably went down in the North Sea.
Sgt Bybee and his crewmates are memorialized on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery near Madingley, England.
B-17G 42-97398 crew:
• Gatlin Jr, Claude E – 2/Lt – Pilot – MIA
• Uber, Frank J – 2/Lt – Copilot – MIA
• Smathers, Harold E – F/O – Navigator – MIA
• Bybee, Melvin G – Sgt – Togglier – MIA
• King, Robert H – Sgt – Engineer – MIA
• Mitchell, Bruce R – Sgt – Radio Operator – MIA
• Wright, George T – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – MIA
• Zaiger, Roy J – Sgt – Waist Gunner – MIA
• Kane, Stephen P – Sgt – Tail Gunner – MIA
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com