World War II
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MIA
Fallen
Circumstances:
The plane Lieutenant Brandenburg was on was last seen over the North Sea about 20 miles north of Norderney Island and no trace of the plane or 10 men on board was ever found.
Below is the mission they were on:
VIII Bomber Command Mission 37: 76 B-17s of the 1st Bombardment Wing and 17 B-24s of the 2d Bombardment Wing are dispatched against Bremen, Germany. The primary target is overcast so 59 B-17s and 6 B-24s attack the docks and surrounding areas of Wilhelmshaven, Germany dropping 164.25 tons of bombs between 1123 and 1125 hours local. We claim 21 Luftwaffe fighters destroyed, 9 probably destroyed and 5 damaged; we lose 5 B-17s and 2 B-24s plus 1 B-24 is damaged beyond repair; casualties are 14 WIA and 73 MIA. The Luftwaffe attempts air-to-air bombing by fighter aircraft and the use of parachute bombs fired by AAA. Spitfire Mk Vs of the 4th Fighter Group fly 82 uneventful sorties; 6 on shipping patrols and 76 on 3 missions escorting Venturas attacking Dunkirk, France.
Biography:
born Ivan, La 8 Oct 14; resident Burleigh County, NDak; entered AUS Barksdale Field, Ala 27 Dec 41; served European African Middle Eastern Theater; KIA 26 Feb 43 North Sea; remains not recovered; He is on the tablets of the missing in the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial. He also has a headstone at his family's plot in the Cottage Grove Cemetery, Benton, Bossier Parish, LA