Stewart Franklin Reid, Jr. was born at Henry County, Illinois, about 1922. His parents were Stewart Franklin Reid Sr (23 Jun 1895 9 May 1954), who was born at Greenville, Illinois; and Lorna B. (Hinderliter) Reid (abt 1906 unk), who was born in Illinois. His parents married at Henry County, Illinois in March 1922. In April 1930 he and his parents lived in the household of his maternal grandfather, George L. Hinderliter (2 Feb 1872 11 May 1930), in Galva, Henry County, Illinois.
His parents divorced by 1940, and he lived with his father at the Dalton Hotel, 1234 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. His father was hotel manager. He completed one year of college, and worked in an unskilled occupation in the building of aircraft. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Chicago, Illinois on January 28, 1943.
He completed Army Air Forces bombardier training in Class 44-5 at Victorville Army Air Field, California, and received his wings and commission in April 1944. He was then assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Lt Omar D. Stemple, and completed B-17 operational training with the crew at Ardmore Army Air BThe Stemple crew, then a lead crew, took off from Lavenham in B-17G 44-8563 and led the High Squadron. Captain David D. Reed Jr flew as air leader in the copilot position. Lt Floyd C. Nyhagen, the copilot, moved to the tail gun position as Officer Tail Gunner and formation observer. Their target was Osnabruck. The aircraft was struck by flak as it crossed the enemy coast between Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven. Then at the initial point for the bomb run, control cables which had been damaged by the flak gave way. The pilots kept the plane in the air on autopilot, but were unable to turn. The aircraft left the formation, headed east toward Berlin, and was attacked by German fighters. Lt Nyhagen was killed by a direct hit from a 20 mm canon shell in the tail. The other ten crew members bailed out. The aircraft crashed at Gutenpaaren, about 20 kilometers northeast of Brandenburg, Germany. Lt Nyhagen's body was found in the wreckage. Lt Reid's body was found on January 17, 1945 at Roskow, Germany, less than 4 kilometers west of Gutenpaaren. Apparently his parachute failed. The other nine crew members survived and became prisoners of war.
Lt Reid is buried at Ardennes American Cemetery in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgiumase, Oklahoma.
B-17GSH 44-8563 crew:
Stemple, Omar D 1/Lt Pilot POW
Reed Jr, David D Capt Air Leader POW
Hildebrand, Durston N 1/Lt Navigator POW
Crotty, John H 2/Lt Navigator POW
Reid Jr, Stewart F 1/Lt Bombardier KIA
DuPre, David J 2/Lt Radar Operator POW
Loy Jr, John P T/Sgt Engineer POW
George, Gust T/Sgt Radio Operator POW
Cathcart, Charles J S/Sgt Waist Gunner POW
Wickman, Norman H S/Sgt Waist Gunner POW
Nyhagen, Floyd C 1/Lt Officer Tail Gunner KIA
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com