WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL - Sgt. Charles M. Frantz

 

Sergeant Charles Meredith Frantz

Charles was born in Galata, Toole County, Montana to Charles Elwood and Trella Minnie (Springer) Frantz on December 1, 1920. By the 1930 census, the famiiy had moved to Montgomery County, Ohio with Charles 9, and his siblings, Bessie (Burdessa), 12, and Waldo H., 15.

By the 1940 census, Charles' parents were divorced, and his mother resided in Hicksville, and was lodging with a widow from Van Wert at the time of the census. On October 26, 1944, she remarried to Lyman T. Winn and lived at Route 1, Hicksville. Sgt Frantz attended Hicksville High School.

Charles, the youngest son, enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1942 and was assigned by October 7 to the 90th Bomb Group, 334th Bomb Squadron, Eighth Air Force, the "Mighty Eighty."

On July 17, 1942, Charles married Frances Mary Courtney in Fort Wayne, Indiana. At that time, his residence was Dayton.

The insignia of the 334th Squadron
A hooded figure of Doom, dropping
a yellow aerial bomb between two red
lightning flashes.

Charles was transferred to the 95th Bomb Squad H

in England where they were based just north of London. He was trained as a top turret gunner/ flight engineer on a B-17 ordered to fly over and drop bombs on Germany. Nicknamed "Situation

Normal," his B-17 42-29943 was shot down by enemy aircraft near Haseluenne, Germany and crashed near Barnsdorf on March 6, 1944.

It was the first day of a series of daylight bomb raids over Germany. Out of the ten crewmembers on his plane, five were able to parachute out and they

became German prisoners of war. The other five,

including Sgt. Frantz, never made it out of the plane.

He was killed in action. (Info thanks to Kay Fradl)

"Situation Normal" B-17, shot down over Germany - Sgt. Frantz's plane

The Journal-Herald, Dayton, reported on June 1, 1949, on page 11:

"2 Dayton Air Force Men On Casualty List

Listed in casualty reports Friday were the names of Lt. Herman F. Ridenour...and Sgt. Charles M. Frantz, 23, husband of Mrs. Mary F. Frantz, 150 N. Kilmer St., missing in action in the European area since March 6.

...Sgt. Frantz, a flight engineer on a B-17 in England, was on his fifth mission over Europe when reported missing in action, his wife said Friday. A native of Montana, he had lived in Dayton for a number of years.

The sergeant entered the service on Nov. 9, 1942, and received his training at bases in North Carolina and Texas before going overseas last December. His father, Charles Moore, lives on Brown St"

Sgt. Charles M. Franz died March 6, 1944, in Oldenburg, Germany, Landkreiss Vorpommern-Graifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

His body was brought home and buried in Hillgrove Cemetery, Miamisburg, Montgomery County, Ohio. C.A.Brough applied for a marble military stone on July 15, 1949.

Sgt. Charles M. Frantz also received the Purple Heart and the European Theater Ribbon.

Dianne Kline, Researcher