Galle Americo S.

Name:

Americo S. Galle

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-886490

Unit:

861st Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomb Group

Date of Death:

1944-11-21

State:

New York

Cemetery:

Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium

Plot:

B

Row:

38

Grave:

34

Decoration:

Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart

Comments:

Americo S. Galle was born on 26 December 1923 in Yonkers, New York. He was the son of Vincent P Galle and Margaret Iorio Galle.

He served in the 861st Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on the B-17 #43-38107 during World War II. He was murdered by the SS on 21 November 1944. His aircraft was hit by flak returning from a mission to Zwolle, and the crew bailed out over the Netherlands. Galle was captured by the SS, who imprisoned him in the basement of their headquarters, where he was stripped of his flight gear and re-dressed in civilian clothing. He was then taken to a prepared grave on the grounds of the SS compound and shot in the back of the neck. His murderers were sentenced at the Allied Military Court at Burgsteinfurt on 11 February 1946.

2Lt Galle is now buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, www.americanairmuseum.com