Eugene Franklin Steffens was born at Brooklyn, Kings County, New York on March 15, 1916. His parents were Harry J. Steffens (9 Apr 1883 3 Dec 1936), who was born in Germany; and Mary Katherine (Danzer) Steffens (abt 1883 18 Nov 1968), who was born in New York. His parents married at Brooklyn, New York on November 5, 1904. His father was a chauffeur and owned a garage. He had a brother, Harold Martin Steffens (17 Oct 1905 29 May 1955). By 1930 the family lived at 301 East 2nd Street in Brooklyn.
By April 1940 he completed four years of high school and worked for a laundry company. He married in September 1940. His wife was Mary Jeanette (Hansen) Steffens (4 Feb 1919 14 Aug 2012), who was born at Oslo, Norway. He registered for the draft at Brooklyn, New York on October 16, 1940. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighed 150 pounds, and had blue eyes and blonde hair. At that time he and his wife Mary lived at 621 17th Street in Brooklyn, and he worked for the Pilgrim Laundry Company. Later he became a New York City fireman and was assigned to Ladder Company 122. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at New York City, New York, on December 9, 1942.
He completed Army Air Forces pilot training and was assigned as copilot on 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.
Lt Steffens 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 Robert J. 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).
After the war, Lt Steffens' remains were reinterred at Ardennes American Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium.
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