Donald Robert Huddle was born on September 29, 1919, in Dayton, Iowa County, Iowa. He served in the 368th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Waist Gunner of B-17F #41-24514 during World War II.

On March 8, 1943, the B-17F #41-24514 departed Station 111 at Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, at 11:45 on a mission against the Rennes marshalling yards in France. At 14:30, over Plouguenast (Côtes-d’Armor, France), the bomber was attacked and shot down by a German Fw 190 fighter. The crew bailed out by parachute; however, the pilot was killed when his chute failed to open at low altitude. The majority of the crew were captured and spent the remainder of the war as prisoners, while one evaded capture and made it back to the United Kingdom with assistance from the local resistance and a fishing boat escape.

Sgt Huddle was taken as a prisoner of war and held at Stalag 17B in Braunau Gneikendorf. He ended his military service as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Air Force. He died on June 16, 1989, and is now buried in the Oakwood Memorial Park, Chatsworth, Los Angeles County, California, USA.

Source of information: francecrashes39-45.net, www.americanairmuseum.com