SGT Theodore Eyl, Ghisonaccia, Corsica, France 23 September 1944

428th Bomb Squadron Emblem[1]
310th Bomb Group Emblem[1]

Sgt Theodore Eyl, the cousin of Inez Merle Eyl Martfeld, joined the Army from Fort Meade, South Dakota and was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces, 428th Bombardment Squadron, 310th Bombardment Group (Medium), as a turret gunner. The 428th was activated at Key Field, Meridian, Mississippi on 25 April 1942 and deployed to England that September, their movements and mission paralleling the 34th Infantry Division, a unit of another family hero, Pvt Calvin Dale Crandall. The 428th was part of Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa in November chasing the Germans from North Africa across the Mediterranean into Italy and supporting the invasions of Sicily, Salerno and operations at Cassino, Italy[2]. By the end of the war the 310th BG had moved to Fano, Italy and were involved in bombing runs over the Balkans and Austria[1]

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On 8 December 1943 a forward element of the 310th relocated from Phillipville, Algeria to Ghisonaccia, Corsica, France to prepare for the entire squadron’s relocation. The large snow-capped mountains and green plains were a welcome respite to the deserts of Africa. Christmas was celebrated here as work to prepare the site for action continued. By 31 January 1944 the first planes began to arrive and the entire squadron was shortly after reunited[6].

Theodore probably arrived at Ghisonaccia in July 1944 and began flying missions as early as 4 September 1944. Fortunately, the 428th kept meticulous records and most missions are documented in online archives at the 57th Bomb Wing Association website. Of the more than a dozen missions that Theodore participated in over his short 2 months with the Squadron, four stand out where Theodore was awarded the Air Medal or Oak-Leaf Cluster for meritorious achievement:[7]

Mission Number 304 of 6 August 1944:

“Under the provisions of AR 600-45, as amended, and pursuant to authority contained in Circular 89, Hq NATOUSA, 10 July 1944, the Air Medal and/or Oak-Leaf Cluster thereto, in the categories listed, is awarded to the following named personnel, 310th Bomb Gp, Air Corps, United States Army, who are missing in action, assignment and next of kin as indicated, for meritorious achievement while participating in an attack upon a railroad bridge at Avignon, France on 6 August 1944 which resulted in heavy damage to the bridge, thereby blocking a vital link in enemy supply and communications lines. In contributing to this outstanding achievement in precision bombing, the personal courage, professional skill and devotion to duty displayed by each crew member reflect highest credit upon the Military Service of the United States:

AIR MEDAL
THEODORE EYL, 37480225, Sgt, Turret Gunner. Mrs Flossie B. Medlock (Mother), RR #2 Box 87a, Denver, Colo. …”

Mission Number 305 of 7 August 1944:

“… for meritorious achievement while participating in an attack upon a railroad bridge at Avignon, France on 7 August 1944 which resulted in heavy damage to the bridge and both approaches, thereby blocking a vital link in enemy supply and communications lines. The personal skill and devotion to duty displayed by each crew member reflect highest credit upon the Military Service of the United States:

FIRST CLUSTER
THEODORE EYL, 37480225, Sgt, Turret Gunner. Mrs Flossie B. Medlock, Mother, Route 2 Denver, Colo. …”

Mission Number 330 of 4 September 1944:

“… for meritorious achievement while participating in an attack upon a pontoon bridge at San Benedetto, Italy on 4 September 1944 which resulted in the destruction of the bridge, thereby blocking a vital link in enemy supply and communications lines. The professional skill and devotion to duty displayed by each crew member reflect highest credit upon the Military Service of the United States:

SECOND CLUSTER
THEODORE EYL, 37480225, Sgt, Turret Gunner. Mrs Flossie B. Medlock, (Mother), RR #2, Box 87 A, Denver, Colo. …”

Mission Number 331 of 9 September 1944:

“… for meritorious achievement while participating in an attack upon enemy gun positions near Firenzola, Italy on 9 September 1944 which resulted in the destruction of or damge to, many gun emplacement and other vital military installations. The professional skill and devotion to duty displayed by each crew member reflect highest credit upon the Military Service of the United States:

THIRD CLUSTER
THEODORE EYL, 37480225, Sgt, Turret Gunner. Mrs Flossie B. Medlock, (Mother), R.R. #2, Box 87a, Denver, Colo. …”

Sargent Eyl and his crew’s luck ran out on 23 September 1944 on mission number 342. After bombing the Railroad Bridge at Galliate, Italy the pilot , 2nd Lt. Frederick L. Van Dien broke the B-25, Gray Goose #17 (tail number 43-27797) to the left heading away from the target immediately encountering “heavy, intense and accurate flak”[9]. His ship dropped out of formation and was seen several hundred yards behind and below. They lost their right engine and all instrumentation[10]. Lt. Van Dien was able to keep the aircraft under control but was loosing altitude and dropping further back from the formation. They were last sighted after crossing the Po River when they disappeared into clouds. The rest of the flight circled back and made searches of the area but were unable to locate Gray Goose which had crashed near Altare, Italy.

Armorer-gunner Sgt. Theodore Eyl, Pilot 2nd Lt Fredrick L. Van Dien, Radio-gunner Sgt. Luther E. Smith and Mechanic-gunner Sgt. Elmer T. Short were killed in action. Co-pilot R. J. McAvoy and Bombardier 2nd Lt. Lawrence J. Dopp returned from the incident. Dopp apparently was a Prisoner of War and McAvoy somehow evaded capture[11]. No information could be found on when McAvoy and Dopp returned or when the bodies of the killed in action were recovered. Sgt. Theodore Eyl was interred at the Florence American Cemetery in Florence Italy where he remains today[12].

While reading through the 428th Bombardment Squadron archives, heroic events are documented nearly every day. The daily accounts are filled with incidents of missing air crews, the number of parachutes sited as ships went down and those that returned badly damaged with dead and wounded soldiers. Yet often the very next day these same men would climb back into their bombers and head back into enemy territory on the next mission. The archives also document the USO shows and personalities that came over to entertain them, the movies and critiques on how the squadron liked them and mess meals of the day remembered for its appetizing or not so appetizing qualities. These men endured every hardship while trying to make life as normal and comfortable as they could under the circumstances. It is truly striking how hardship, death, missing comrades and other events were take in stride, just part of the routine. As has been said, this was the greatest generation and what we owe them is immeasurable. These people, particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice, are true American heroes

Visit Sgt Theodore Eyl’s individual record.

Credits:

  1. 57th Bomb Wing Association, 310th Bombardment Group History, Accessed 10 October 2020, http://57thbombwing.com/310thHistory.php.
  2. Wikipedia, “428th Bombardment Squadron”, Accessed 10 October 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/428th_Bombardment_Squadron and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Medal#/media/File:AirMed.gif.
  3. . 57th Bomb Wing Association, “57th Bomb Wing Association Photo Galleries”, Accessed 10 October 2020, http://57thbombwing.com/gallery.php.
  4. Aircraft of World War II, WW2Aircraft.net, “Forums”, Accessed 10 October 2020, https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/b-25b-c-d-ventral-bottom-turret.3145/.
  5. Fold3, “Theodore Eyl – Photos”, Accessed 10 October 2020, https://www.fold3.com/image/615582878.
  6. 57th Bomb Wing Association, “Outline History, History of the Air Echelon, Dec-Jan”, Accessed 10 October 2020, http://57thbombwing.com/428th_History/History_2.pdf.
  7. 57th Bomb Wing Association, “310th Bomb Group’s 428th Squadron History”, Accessed 10 October 2020, http://57thbombwing.com/428thSquadronHistory.php.
  8. Map from Google Earth, Annotated by Joseph Martfeld
  9. Fold 3, “Missing Air Crew Report”, Accessed 12 October 2020, https://www.fold3.com/image/28742973?terms=eyl,theodore. Compiled at this link by Joe Martfeld for convenience.
  10. 57th Bomb Wing Association, “History of the 428th Bombardment Squadron, Month of September 1944, Accessed 10 October 2020, http://57thbombwing.com/428th_History/History_11.pdf.
  11. Fold 3, “Stories about Theodore Eyl”, Accessed 12 October 2020, https://www.fold3.com/page/529871032-theodore-eyl.
  12. Fold 3, “Theodore Eyl, American Battle Monumnets Commission”, Accessed 10 October 2020, https://www.fold3.com/record/529871032-theodore-eyl.
Let us never forget