On 25 November 1944, Frank J. Igo died during a combat mission against oil refineries at Merseburg, Germany.  The group sortied 40 B-17s with 10 suffering mechanical failures and aborting.  Four other aircraft failed to attack for a variety of reasons.

According to the War Stories of the O & W, the cancelled mission to Merseburg on the 4^th was rescheduled for the 25^th.  The 8^th was scheduled to launch a 1,000 plane raid against this heavily defended target.  The 40 aircraft of the 486^th were loaded with twelve 500 lb general purpose bombs.  Assembly was raised from 20,000 feet to 25,500 feet as a result of the weather conditions, using up a lot of gas.  Assembly was largely unremarkable; although, a spare that had sortied failed to find the group in the clouds and returned to base.  Of the Forts that assembled, #835 in the lead squadron aborted early due to a defective oxygen system.  Another Fort in the high squadron aborted when two engines quit.  The lead PFF ship #902 failed to attack due to a bomb rack malfunction.  Two other a/c aborted due to oxygen system failures and two others due to engine failures.

Tragedy struck the crew flying #973 in the low squadron, piloted by LT James Newsom.  The flight engineer, T/SGT Frank Igo, was in the bomb bay trying to open the bomb bay doors.  His crewmen believe he was hit by shrapnel and fell through the opening he had created.  He had been working in the bomb bay without the benefit of a parachute and fell to his death.  It is not known whether Igo died outright from the shrapnel; however, German reports (see below) did not report any wounds on his recovered body.

The weather made for a sloppy stream, so much so that the 486^th high squadron lost the group and wound up flying the mission with the 94^th BG(H) of the 13^th CBW.  The rest of the group, flying with the 93^rd BG(H) bombed the target through the 10/10 undercast by PFF.  Bombs were away at 11:49 Double British Summer Time.

Three-hundred and twenty Fortresses of the 3^rd AD attacked the target with 57 failing to return to their assigned bases immediately after the mission.  Thirty of those a/c were located at emergency fields on the continent, while others managed to limp back to England.  Only eight Forts were declared lost.

Querfurt, November 30, 1944.

Subject: Fall of an american airman.

An american airman fell fatally on a cultivated wheat field while enemy combat units flew from different directions over the Querfurt district on November 25, 1944, 120 m west of Ziegelrodaerstrasse, between kilometer stone 22.9 and 22.8, about 2 km south of Querfurt.  The fall was observed by the shepherd Fritz Deichmann, who lives in Leimbach, near Querfurt. The local police station was notified of the incident at around 3.30 p.m. by the chief of the Gendarmerie Löhing, residing in Querfurt, Geistpromenade 15.  As could be determined at the place of discovery, the body was stretched out on its back.  The point of impact itself had a depression of about 20 cm [7.8 inches].  External injuries or other conspicuous features were not recognizable on the body.  It was noticed, however, that the airman was not provided with a parachute.  An airplane crash could not be determined either in the vicinity of the site or at another location.

The following items were recovered from the body:

I. Valuables

1. 2 identical identification tags with a chain.
2. 1 steel wristwatch with leather strap.
3. 1 pencil (yellow).
4. 1 notepad with some notes.
5. 1 leather yellow pouch with various types of identification.

II. Money

1. 25 pcs. Banknotes of 1 engl. Pound note.
2. 24 pcs. Banknotes of 20 American each Dollar bill.
3. 1 pc. 1 Dollar bill (Bank of Canada).

As can be seen from the identification tag and the identity papers, the aviator is Frank J. Igo, born on October 2, 1919 and carries the number 11010816 T 41 - 42.  Above his uniform he wore the number 454 in yellow Color. The wristwatch was found to have stopped at 11.53.  It was the time when the first enemy unit flew over the city and the district of Querfurt.  The body was recovered around 5 pm and taken to the city morgue.  The burial of the body took place on November 30, 1944 at 9 o'clock in the Querfurt cemetery.  The grave number is 544.  An identification tag has been left on the body.  A death certificate for the body has not yet been issued.

The removed valuables and cash are kept in a value pouch that is enclosed with the process.

                                                                              [signature]

                                                                             Rev.-Lieutenant of the Protective Police

The mayor as the                                                                Querfurt, 30th November 1944.

local police authority.

Ref. Pol. II. 406/44.

Original to the air base (salvage command) at Kölleda.

                                                        sent for your attention and for further initiation.

                                                       On behalf of

                                                       Dr. Weiss.

Source, Facebook group: B134a - Luftschutzbunker Krumpa.  Special thanks to Traugott Vitz for bringing this new information to my attention.