Reino Oswald Jylkka was born on April 14, 1916, in Fitchburg, Worcester County, Massachusetts. He was the son of Antti Jylkka or Jylkkä and Mary Lisa Jylkka or Jylkkä. He was the husband of Virginia L. Jylkka. He was a graduate of East Hartford High School. He enlisted in the service on February 3, 1941. He served in the 545th Bomber Squadron, 384th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Navigator of B-17F #41-24557 nicknamed 'Damn Yankee' during World War II.

On December 1, 1943, the B-17F “Damn Yankee” departed Grafton Underwood, England, on its 13th combat mission targeting the industrial city of Solingen in Germany’s Ruhr region. During the bombing run, the aircraft was struck by heavy German anti-aircraft fire, damaging its engines and leaving its bomb bay doors stuck open, which caused it to lose speed and fall behind formation as a vulnerable “straggler.” It was soon intercepted by Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters that repeatedly attacked, inflicting severe damage, setting engines ablaze, disabling control systems, and killing or wounding crew members. Despite the crew’s efforts to defend the aircraft, the situation became hopeless as it lost altitude and control. Upon reaching Belgium near Jabbeke, the pilot and his co-pilot struggled to maintain control before ordering the crew to bail out; in a final act of heroism, the pilot steered the crippled bomber away from the town to avoid civilian casualties. At approximately 13:15, the aircraft crashed into a turnip field along Zomerweg. Of the ten-man crew, five were killed in the crash. At the same time, five escaped by parachute, four were captured by German forces, and the pilot evaded capture with the help of Belgian civilians and resistance networks, eventually reaching safety months later.

2Lt Jylkka was able to bail out safely, but was captured and subsequently held as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft I in Barth-Vogelsang, Prussia. He died on March 2, 1998, and is now buried in the Green Cemetery, Glastonbury, Hartford County, Connecticut, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.usmilitariaforum.com