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SGT  Reginaldo AGUILA

UNIT: 418th BOMB Sqdn POSITION: BTG
SERIAL #: 18232557 STATUS: KIA
MACR: 03016 CR: 03016

Comments1: 6 MAR 44 BERLIN (EXP)

COMMENTS & NOTES

MEMO 1:

CREW

2ND LT ZEB KENDALL JR.                 P KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN
2ND LT EDWIN J. LOUGHRAN         CP KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN
2ND LT WILLIAM R. THORPE JR.   NAV KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN
2ND LT CLIFFORD L. GOWEN       BOM KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN
S/SGT LEMAN E. TUTOR             ROG KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN
S/SGT MELVIN A. HICKMAN         TTE KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN
SGT REGINALDO AGUILA            BTG KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN
SGT MATTHEW G. AVEN JR.      RWG KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN
SGT RAYMOND L. BRIDGES          WG KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN
SGT VICTOR STOFFREGEN            TG KIA 06 MAR 44 BERLIN

418TH SQDN.. CREW, AS ABAOVE, JOINED THE 100TH ON 22 FEB 44 AND MUST HAVE BEEN LOST ON EITHER THEIR FIRST OF SECOND MISSION.

AIRCRAFT 42-30278, UNNANMED WAS SHOT DOWN DURING FIGHTER ATTACK NEAR HASELUENNE AT APPROX 1200 HOURS.  THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS.

 MACR #3016, Microfiche #1020

 Exact cause and location of the loss of this  aircraft is unknown..

Date Crew Nbr Mission Nbr Last Name Initial Rank Position Aircraft Nbr Target
3/3/1944 34 122 STOFFREGEN V. SGT TG 91 BERLIN
3/3/1944 34 122 KENDALL Z. LT P 91 BERLIN
3/3/1944 34 122 LOUGHRAN E.J. LT CP 91 BERLIN
3/3/1944 34 122 THORPE W.H. LT NAV 91 BERLIN
3/3/1944 34 122 GOWEN C.L. LT BOM 91 BERLIN
3/3/1944 34 122 TUTOR L.E. T/SGT ROG 91 BERLIN
3/3/1944 34 122 HICKMAN W.A. S/SGT TTE 91 BERLIN
3/3/1944 34 122 AGUILA R. SGT BTG 91 BERLIN
3/3/1944 34 122 AVEN M.C. S/SGT RWG 91 BERLIN
3/3/1944 34 122 PRIDGES R.L. SGT LWG 91 BERLIN

3/4/1944 34 123 PRIDGES R.L. SGT LWG 278 BERLIN
3/4/1944 34 123 AVEN M.C. S/SGT RWG 278 BERLIN
3/4/1944 34 123 AGUILA R. SGT BTG 278 BERLIN
3/4/1944 34 123 HICKMAN W.A. S/SGT TTE 278 BERLIN
3/4/1944 34 123 TUTOR L.E. T/SGT ROG 278 BERLIN
3/4/1944 34 123 GOWEN C.L. LT BOM 278 BERLIN
3/4/1944 34 123 THORPE W.H. LT NAV 278 BERLIN
3/4/1944 34 123 LOUGHRAN E.J. LT CP 278 BERLIN
3/4/1944 34 123 KENDALL Z. LT P 278 BERLIN
3/4/1944 34 123 STOFFREGEN V. SGT TG 278 BERLIN

3/6/1944 34 124 GOWEN C.L. LT BOM 278 BERLIN
3/6/1944 34 124 STOFFREGEN V. SGT TG 278 BERLIN
3/6/1944 34 124 PRIDGES R.L. SGT LWG 278 BERLIN
3/6/1944 34 124 AVEN M.C. S/SGT RWG 278 BERLIN
3/6/1944 34 124 AGUILA R. SGT BTG 278 BERLIN
3/6/1944 34 124 TUTOR L.E. T/SGT ROG 278 BERLIN
3/6/1944 34 124 THORPE W.H. LT NAV 278 BERLIN
3/6/1944 34 124 LOUGHRAN E.J. LT CP 278 BERLIN
3/6/1944 34 124 KENDALL Z. LT P 278 BERLIN
3/6/1944 34 124 HICKMAN W.A. S/SGT TTE 278 BERLIN

MEMO 2:

Reginaldo Aguila was born on February 24, 1926 in Texas. (One source states 1924.) No parentage or census data has been found for him, but the Headstone Inscription Records Card for Burial in Foreign Cemeteries is signed by his sister, Eutolina Doublet.) Aguila enlisted in San Antonio, Texas, on December 15, 1942. His enlistment records state he had completed 4 years of high school, and was employed as a painter on construction sites. He was selected for flight duty, and trained as an aerial gunner. He was promoted to Sergeant, and assigned to crew training.

The crew deployed to England in February, 1944. On March 6, 1944, the crew was tasked to bomb the industrial area of Berlin, Germany. This was the 1st or 2nd mission for the crew. (Records are not clear.) The inexperienced gunners were not prepared for the numerous enemy aircraft launched at them on this raid. Fire was so heavy that records show that 23 of 38 B-17s were shot down. Aguila's aircraft, receiving a share of the machine gun and cannon fire poured into the formation, exploded as the bomb load was hit. All the crew were killed by the blast. The dead were recovered from the wreckage which fell near Haseluene, Germany. After the war, the remains were moved to other cemeteries. Sgt Aguila now rests in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium in Plot A, Row 22, Grave 14.

Sgt Reginaldo Aguila was acting as the ball turret gunner on B-17G # 42-30278, named "Sly Fox," assigned to the 418th Bomb Squadron.

Missing Air Crew Report 3016 was issued for this loss. Crew listings show the crew was composed of:

2 Lt Zeb Kendall, Jr.  p
2 Lt Edwin J. Loughran  c-p
2 Lt William R. Thorpe, Jr.  nav
2 Lt Clifford L. Gowen  bomb
SSgt Melvin A. Hickman  eng/tt gun
SSgt Leman E. Tutor  r/o
Sgt  Reginaldo Aguila  btg
Sgt  Matthew G. Aven, Jr  wg
Sgt  Raymond L. Bridges  wg
Sgt  Victor Stoffregen  tail gun


Ranks and grades as of mission date.
There were no survivors.

KIA / MIA / EVA / INT INFORMATION:

TARGET: Berlin DATE: 1944-03-06  
AIRCRAFT: "Sly Fox" (42-30278) CAUSE: EAC & Explosion  

BURIAL INFORMATION

PLOT: A ROW: 22  
GRAVE: 14 CEMETERY: Ardennes, Neuville-en-Cond, Belgium  
ID: 29