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Leroy Leist was stationed with the 418th Squadron of the 100th Bomb Group at Thorpe Abbots, England at the end of October, 1943.  

 

On February 4, 1944, the crew who, had trained together and flown 15 missions together, took off on their final run.  The mission was a bombing run of the marshalling yards of Frankfort, Germany.  

On the return flight, their plane, B17G 42-37975 was hit by flak and lost an engine.  As they became stragglers from the safety of the formation, enemy fighters from Belgium attacked the formation.  Lt. Eric Scheyda followed the crippled plane through the clouds and claimed the kill on “375.”  

   

 

Leroy Earnest “Babe” Leist was born October 18, 1918 in Delphos, Ohio to Earnest and Eva Leist.  He had one younger brother, Vernon.  Leroy Leist graduated from Spencerville, Ohio high school and joined the Ohio Army

National Guard.  

 

He was sent to Camp Shelby, Mississippi in 1941 where many Army National Guard units were sent to train for the possibility of war in Europe.

 

Leroy Leist was released from his obligation to the Ohio National Guard and was working for the U. S. Geological Survey Office when he was drafted back to service.  He chose the Army Air Corp and immediately began his training as a tail gunner at bases all over the U. S.  

SSGT Leroy “Babe” Leist

ID: 34343991
Entered the Service From: Mississippi
Rank: Staff Sergeant

Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 418th Bomber Squadron, 100th Bomber Group
Died: Friday, February 04, 1944
Memorialized at: Netherlands American Cemetery
Location: Margraten, Netherlands

Awards: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

 

“Bloody Hundredth”
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Actually, the B-17 flew on to the coast of Holland where it was fired on by an enemy flak battery at Vlissingen.  It then turned in a N/NE direction crossing over the coast of Ouddorp, Holland.  The weather was stormy and freezing cold.  There are no eye witnesses, but it is known that the plane crashed near the coast of Holland.