Lester John Eby was born in June 1909 in Gregory County, South Dakota. He was the son of Luther John Eby and Mabel F. Fletcher Eby. He served in the 328th Bomber Squadron, 93rd Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Gunner of B-24D #41-23711 nicknamed ''Jerks Natural'' during World War II.
On October 1, 1943, the B-24D “Jerk’s Natural” was returning from a bombing mission over Wiener Neustadt, Austria, when it fell behind its formation and was attacked by German fighters. The aircraft was heavily damaged, entered a spin, and crashed into the mountains northeast of Graz, near Heilbrunn and Brandlucken in the Austrian region of Styria. Nine of the ten crew members were killed in the crash, with only the navigator surviving and taken as a prisoner of war.
SSgt Eby was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay Township, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA.Source of information: www.flickr.com, www.americanairmuseum.com
PRIVATE CITIZENS SUPPORTING AMERICA'S HERITAGE
American
War Memorials Overseas, Inc.
War Memorials Overseas, Inc.
Eby Lester John
Name:
Lester John Eby
Rank:
Staff Sergeant
Serial Number:
39531654
Unit:
328th Bomber Squadron, 93rd Bomber Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1943-10-01
State:
South Dakota
Cemetery:
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay Township, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA
Plot:
Section 82
Row:
Grave:
Site 7B
Decoration:
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Comments: