Stephen Francis Ryan was born on July 4, 1922, in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Andrew L. Ryan and Caroline L. Becker Ryan. He served in the 550th Bomber Squadron, 385th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot of B-17G #42-102606, nicknamed "Curley's Kids" during World War II.

On July 12, 1944, the crew of Curley’s Kids took off from Great Ashfield, England, with the 385th Bombardment Group, Eighth Air Force, on the group’s 150th combat mission. Commanded by First Lieutenant Robert L. McDonald, Curley’s Kids joined the formation of B-17s bound for Munich, Germany. At approximately 11:50 a.m., as the formation passed over the area of Perlé, Luxembourg, another B-17 from the group, 42-31917 Off Spring, commanded by Captain Richard B. White of the 551st Bomb Squadron, was reportedly caught in the propeller wash of an aircraft flying ahead. Off Spring pitched upward and collided with Curley’s Kids. The collision was catastrophic, and both bombers broke apart and crashed in the vicinity of Perlé and Wolwelange. Of the ten men aboard Curley’s Kids, Sergeant Larry Atiyeh was the only survivor. First Lieutenant Robert L. McDonald and the other eight members of his crew were killed. Off Spring also lost nine of its ten crewmen, with Sergeant Robert L. McPherson as its sole survivor. In all, 18 of the 20 American airmen aboard the two B-17s lost their lives in the collision.

2Lt Ryan is now buried in the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial, Henri-Chapelle, Arrondissement de Verviers, Liège, Belgium.

Sources of information: www.findagrave.com, www.92ndbg.org, www.385bg.lu, weremember.abmc.gov