Donald De Cleene was born in 1921, the son of Peter and Wilhelemina “Minnie” De Cleene (Nee Van Lier) of Oak Park, Cook, Illinois. After the completion of his pilot training, he was drafted to the 603rd Bomb Squadron of the 398th Bomb Group stationed at Nuthampstead, near Royston in Hertfordshire. He was piloting the B-17G #43-38944 at the time of his death.

On January 2, 1945, 1st Lt De Cleene and the crew flying with him had flown over to Burtonwood to collect a new replacement aircraft for one which had either been lost or withdrawn from service. They were flying the new aircraft back to their home airfield at Nuthampstead near Royston in Hertfordshire and had taken off at just about 19:00. The weather was fairly good with about 2 miles visibility and broken cloud at 3,000 feet, however, it was dark, and there was no snow lying on the ground. At approximately 19:25, the aircraft was heard by local farmers flying very low. Shortly after, it flew into the western edge of the Birchenough Hill close to a small quarry and broke up across the hill and burned out.

1Lt De Cleene is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk