Hubert Raymond Cripe was born on October 26, 1920, in Bader, Schuyler County, Illinois. He was the son of Oliver John Cripe and Alma Mae Miller Cripe. He was married to Louisa J. Vollmar Cripe. He enlisted in the service on May 15, 1942. He served in the 734th Bomb Squadron, 453rd Bomb Group, Heavy, as a First Lieutenant and Pilot of B-24H #42-52226 during World War II.

On March 6, 1944, B-24H-10-FO Liberator #42-52226 departed from its base at RAF Old Buckenham, England, as part of a large bombing mission targeting industrial facilities at Genshagen, near Berlin, Germany. During the return flight, the formation came under heavy attack from German fighter aircraft and intense anti-aircraft fire. In the course of these engagements, the Liberator was hit and became separated from the protective bomber formation, leaving it more vulnerable to continued enemy attack. After sustaining severe damage, the crew lost control of the aircraft. Unable to maintain altitude or return safely to England, the Liberator crashed into the IJsselmeer, a large inland body of water in the Netherlands, approximately 4 kilometers northeast of Edam. The crash resulted in the deaths of several crew members, while others were able to escape the aircraft and were either rescued or later captured by German forces and taken prisoner.

1Lt Cripe successfully bailed out of the aircraft and was rescued from the water by Dutch fishermen along with Anderson and Dallacqua. However, they were immediately taken into custody by a German sea patrol boat. He was subsequently interned as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft I in Barth, Germany. He ended his military service as a Captain and died on February 20, 2018. He is now buried in the Astoria Cemetery, Astoria, Fulton County, Illinois, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, americanarchive.iwm.org.uk