Woltman Ray Robert

Name:

Ray Robert Woltman

Rank:

First Lieutenant

Serial Number:

O-2060092

Unit:

602nd Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group

Date of Death:

1945-02-03

State:

Ohio

Cemetery:

Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA

Plot:

Section 34

Row:

Grave:

Site 3491

Decoration:

Air Medal with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Purple Heart

Comments:

Ray Robert Woltman was born on September 26, 1921, in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. He was the son of George F. and Ruth E. Woltman. He served in the 602nd Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, as a First Lieutenant and Navigator of B-17 #43-97387 nicknamed ''Maude an Maria'' during World War II.

On February 3, 1945, during a bombing mission over Berlin, the Maude an' Maria was involved in a mid-air collision with another B-17, serial number 43-38697, from the 603rd Bomb Squadron. The collision occurred approximately an hour after the bombs were released, and both aircraft crashed near Lehmke, close to Gardelegen, Germany. Of the ten crew members aboard Maude an' Maria, seven were killed in action, and the remaining three survived the crash and were captured, becoming prisoners of war.

1Lt Woltman was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA. Ray R. Woltman's name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 1 (left), on Butterfly 4, in the top right wing (section B).

Source of information: www.americanairmuseum.com, www.398th.org