World War II Honoree

Byron L. Wertz

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Jeannette, Pennsylvania

Honored By

Bruce B. Wertz

Relationship

Son

Served with the 785th Bombardment Squadron of the 466th Heavy Bomb Group, 8th Army Air Force, and was stationed at Attlebridge Airfield near Norfolk, England. He was Flight Engineer and Turret Gunner on a B-24 Liberator known as 'The Falcon'(Production block number: B-24H-25-FO). He flew 22 missions on the The Falcon before it was hit by anti-aircraft fire and Luftwaffe fighters while on a mission to bomb the marshaling yards at Wittlich, Germany in the Rhineland on January 8, 1945. The Falcon limped over The Channel leaking fuel and reached England on empty and crashed in a farmer's field on Black Moor Road in Shipdham. he walked away with a minor back injury. After recovering from his injury, he flew his last 3 missions as a replacement crew member on the B-24 Liberator (42-95609) known as 'Ghost Too'.