World War II Honoree

Lyle Lavern Peters

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Perrinton, Michigan

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED AS A PRIVATE IN THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS ON 1 APRIL 1942 AT PINE CAMP (FORT DRUM) NEAR WATERTOWN, NEW YORK. HE WAS SELECTED FOR THE AVIATION CADET PROGRAM, AND AFTER EARNING HIS 'WINGS' WAS COMMISSIONED A 2ND LIEUTENANT. HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY ASSIGNED TO THE 322ND BOMBARDMENT GROUP (MEDIUM), 449TH BOMB SQUADRON, WHICH WAS ACTIVATED ON 17 JULY 1942 AT MACDILL FIELD, FLORIDA. THE 322ND BOMB GROUP WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE MARTIN TWIN-ENGINE B-26 MARAUDER MEDIUM BOMBER AND MOVED TO THE NEARBY SATELLITE INSTALLATION OF DRANE FIELD, FLORIDA IN LATE SEPTEMBER 1942. HE DEPLOYED WITH THE 449TH BOMB SQUADRON AIRCRAFT TO THE EUROPEAN THEATRE OF OPERATIONS VIA THE SOUTHERN FERRY ROUTE FROM FLORIDA THROUGH TRINIDAD, BRAZIL, DAKAR AND MARRAKECH, WITH THE LAST B-26 AIRCREW ARRIVING IN ROYAL AIR FORCE BURY ST. EDMUNDS (ROYAL AIR FORCE ROUGHAM) IN SUFFOLK, ENGLAND ON THE 29TH OF MAY 1943. ON 12 JUNE 1943, HE MOVED WITH THE UNIT TO ROYAL AIR FORCE ANDREWS FIELD (U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE STATION #485) IN ESSEX, ENGLAND. ON 12 AUGUST 1944, HE FLEW IN THE RIGHT SEAT AS THE CO-PILOT ABOARD A B-26B BOMBER, NICKNAMED 'WINNIE DEE II' TAIL #41-31741, FUSELAGE CODE: PN-N, ON A MISSION TO BOMBARD ENEMY FORCES AT FLERS, FRANCE. ON THE INBOUND LEG TO THE TARGET AREA, HIS B-26 MARAUDER WAS HIT WITH GERMAN ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY, AND CRASHED IN THE VICINITY OF THE VILLAGE OF SAINT PIERRE DU REGARD, APPROXIMATELY 12 KILOMETERS FROM FLERS. ALL 5 AIRCREW MEMBERS WERE DECLARED KILLED IN ACTION.