Grady Ed Deelaney was born at Oakhurst, San Jacinto County, Texas on March 29, 1922. Apparently his birth name was Edward Pleny Delaney (recorded as Edward Plany DeLaney on his marriage certificate), but he went by Grady Ed Deelaney. He signed his name Grady Ed DeeLaney on his draft registration, and the surname became Deelaney in military records.
He was the youngest of four children of Sherman Sylvester Delaney (7 Feb 1887 – 21 Dec 1960) and Mattie Bell (Adams) Delaney (9 Mar 1898 – 1 Mar 1982), who were both born at Bryan, Brazos County, Texas. His parents married at Waco, McLennan County, Texas on August 6, 1910. In 1911 the family lived at Axtell, near Waco, Texas, and his father was a boiler fireman. By 1916 the family lived at Waco, Texas and his father was a barber. His father lost a leg by 1917 and had a wooden leg (peg leg). In 1930 the family lived at Huntsville, Walker County, Texas, where his father was proprietor of a barber shop.
In April 1940 he lived in the household of his brother James R. Delaney in Weslaco, Hidalgo County, Texas, and was a clerk in a retail feed store. He completed four years of high school, and married in 1940. His wife was Eleanor Ruth (Knowles) Deelaney (11 May 1921 – 12 Apr 1979), who was born at Wills Point, Van Zandt County, Texas. They married at Edinburg, Hidalgo County, Texas on December 4, 1940, and had at least two children. Their second child was born about five months after his death.
He registered for the draft at Edna, Jackson County, Texas on June 30, 1942. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed 160 pounds, and had blue eyes and blonde hair. At that time his residence was Humble Oil Camp at La Ward, Jackson County, Texas, and he was employed at Four Corners Texaco Station in Harlingen, Cameron County, Texas. He enlisted in the U.S. Army at Houston, Texas on May 28, 1943. His home of record was Terrell, Kaufman County, Texas, his residence at that time.
He completed Army Air Forces aerial gunnery training and was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Second Lieutenant Charlton A. Deuschle. The crew completed operational training in the States (possibly at Sioux City, Iowa) and deployed to England. They inprocessed at the Combat Crew Replacement Center at Bovingdon, England in early July 1944, and were assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group. This Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
Sgt Deelaney and seven of his crew mates were killed in action on August 5, 1944 when their aircraft, B-17G 43-38007, was shot down by flak on a mission to bomb an aircraft engine factory at Magdeburg, Germany. The aircraft received direct hits just before bombs away, and exploded within seconds. The fuselage broke apart aft of the ball turret, and part of the right wing came off. Most of the men were either killed instantly, or were ejected from the aircraft without their chutes. The aircraft crashed near Lostau, Germany, about 13 kilometers southwest of Burg, near Magdeburg. Pilot 2/Lt Deuschle and gunner Sgt Crooker survived and became prisoners of war. The dead were buried initially at the village cemetery in Lostau (possibly in Alter Friedhof Lostau, the Old Lostau Cemetery).
His remains were returned to the United States and reinterred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas on July 31, 1950.
B-17G 43-38007 crew:
• Deuschle, Charlton A – 2/Lt – Pilot – POW
• Steffens, Eugene F – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Underwood, Allan B – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Gregory, Jesse E – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA
• Late, Carl L – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Cochran, William J – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Hinkson Jr, Harry M – Sgt – Tail Gunner – KIA
• Deelaney, Grady E – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – KIA
• Haglund, John L – Sgt – Waist Gunner – KIA
• Crooker, Robert J – Sgt – Waist Gunner – POW
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com