Speier Charles B.

Monuments

B-24 (42-40983) ‘Judith Lynn’ and B-24 (42-100248) ‘Bar Fly’ Monument

Name:

Charles B. Speier

Rank:

Staff Sergeant

Serial Number:

17154551

Unit:

409th Bomber Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group

Date of Death:

1944-04-01

State:

Minnesota

Cemetery:

Epinal American Cemetery, Dinozé, France

Plot:

Row:

Grave:

Decoration:

Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster

Comments:

Charles B. Speier was born on April 1, 1944, in Minnesota. He resided in Hennepin County prior to the war. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 30, 1942, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a mechanic and also as Single, without dependents.

Charles served in the 409th Bomber Squadron, 93th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Nose Gunner on the B-24 #42-100248 'Bar Fly' during World War II.

On April 1, 1944, his crew took off from Hardwick, England, for a mission to Germany. Between 11:40 AM and 12 noon, on their return from their mission, their plane was shot down by enemy fighters between Fresne-les-Reims and Burgundy, France, and crashed at Reims-Courcy. The incident resulted in the deaths of all crew members except for SSgt Stanley, who was taken as a prisoner.

SSgt Speier is now buried in the Epinal American Cemetery, Dinozé, France.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, francecrashes39-45.net