Leo William Kirk was born in 1922, in New York. He served in the 555th Bomb Squadron, 386th Bomber Group, Medium, as a Staff Sergeant and the Rear Gunner of the B-26 #42-96324 YA*X "Miss X" during World War II.
On July 18, 1944, his crew took off from Station 164 airfield in Great Dunmow (Little Easton), England at 0530h on a mission to Caen and Démouville, France. Their plane was directly hit by flak in the right engine followed by another at the tail. The aircraft was partially evacuated at 12,000 feet (explosion possibly occured in flight around 07:00). 4 members of the crew were killed in the incident (including SSgt Kirk).
SSgt Kirk is now buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-sur-Mer, France.
B-26 #42-96324 aircrew:
1Lt - Samuel Warren Cochran - Pilot
Capt Robert Lee "Perk" Perkins - Co-Pilot
S/Sgt Edward Benjamin Murray - Bombardier
T/Sgt Adolfo Albert Lopez, Jr. - Radio Operator/Machine Gunner
S/Sgt Theodore Paul Coyle - Mechanice/Machine Gunner
S/Sgt Leo William Kirk - Rear Gunner
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net