Roy E. Seeger was born on July 20, 1923 in Iowa. He was assigned as the Engineer on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Marshall W. Turner during World War II. The Turner crew completed B-17 operational training at Alexandria Army Air Field, Louisiana in October 1944, and moved to Lincoln Army Air Field, Nebraska before deploying to England. They were assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England. They arrived at Station 137 by December 13, 1944, and became part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
On Janurary 14, 1945 the Turner crew flew its first combat mission. Lt Clement J. Kochczynski replaced Lt Turner as first pilot on this mission, while Lt Turner flew as copilot with a more experienced crew, as was the custom. The target was an oil refinery at Magdeburg, Germany. Lt Hunter and three crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft, B-17G 42-98013, collided in the target area with another B-17 in the formation. The aircraft peeled off to the right with its rudder knocked off and top turret damaged. It went into a spin from which Lt Kochczynski could not recover, and exploded. It crashed at Ventschau, Germany, due east of Luneburg, at 1340 hours. Five men survived. The dead were buried at the cemetery in Nahrendorf, Germany.
After the war Sgt Seeger's remains were reinterred at Malvern Cemetery, Malvern, Mills County, Iowa, USA.
B-17G 42-98013 crew:
• Kochczynski, Clement J – 1/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Hunter, Stephen S – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Crandell, Loren W – 2/Lt – Navigator – POW
• Clark, Thomas M – 2/Lt – Bombardier – POW
• Seeger, Roy E – Sgt – Engineer – KIA
• Haulotte, Gene W – Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Scott, Frank G – Sgt – Ball Turret Gunner – POW
• Anchondo, William A – Sgt – Waist Gunner – POW
• Peak, William W – Sgt – Tail Gunner – POW
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com