2nd. Lt. Otto Hinds was born on October 14th, 1917. That would have made him approximately 25 years of age at the time of his death. As the B-17 fortress he was piloting was in its dive after being hit by enemy fire, Otto fought to keep the plane level as the crew bailed out. When it became time for him to leave the aircraft he somehow prematurely opened his parachute in his lap while still seated. This had to result in a very difficult bailout. Thus his chute did not fully deploy and with only a 1000 feet of altitude remaining, Otto suffered severe and eventually fatal injuries. Yet he was a hero in my eyes and the eyes of his crew mates. Upon arriving at the scene, Air Force photographer James O'Leary states in his diary: " I saw him bail out myself and his chute did not open! He had pulled the rip cord while still in the cockpit by mistake. The aircraft in this incident was B-17G #42-97580, unnamed, assigned to the 353rd Bomb Squadron. Missing Air Crew Report 5444 applies, and identifies the crew as: 2 Lt Francis A. DiDonizio pilot 2 Lt Otto H. Hinds co-pilot 2 Lt Jerome M. Cohen navigator 2 Lt Charles L. Wensley bombadier Sgt William M. Lessere eng/top turrent gunner SSgt George A. Bertuzzi radio operator Sgt Richard J. Adam belly gunner Sgt Lester F. Paterson waist gunner Cpl Harold G. Swensen tail gunner SSgt Jimmie G. O'Leary photographer Sgts Adam and Paterson were KIA; Lt Hinds died in partisan hospital; Lt DiDonizio and Sgt Benuzzi were captured; remainder were returned by partisans. One of the POW crewmen later related that Lt Hinds stayed at the controls, steadying the aircraft long enough for the rest of the crew to bail out. Then, in his struggle to leave, he opened his parachute accidentally. According to reports, he jumped with his chute bundled in his arms, and released it after he was clear of the plane. Because he jumped at under 1,000 feet, the chute never opened properly, severely injuring him upon landing. These are the wounds he died from after four months in the partisan's hospital.

A cenotaph remembers him near where he died in present day Slovenia.
Date Of Death 07/20/1944
Place Of Burial Family Plot in Kansas
Place Of Death Yugoslavia
Circumstances:
Died Of Wounds
Row Number 58
Column Number 3
Panel Number 15

Source: Colorado Freedom Memorial