Edward J. Reilly
Assigned to 93rd Bomb Group, 409th Bomb Sqdn. at Hardwick, England in February 1945. On his second mission near Augsburg, shot down an ME-262 jet fighter within 20 feet of their nose turret. The kill was credited to nose gunner Bill Deutch (Detroit) and Flight Engineer Bill (Ben) Franklin (Birmingham) in the Martin upper. Also attacked by FW-190s; saved by P-47 Thunderbolt escorts. Flew 12 missions total.
Sortie Log
09 APR 1945
The sorties below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.
Born April 2, 1923 in Syracuse, NY. Left Holy Cross Seminary, Notre Dame University in December 1942 to enlist in USAAC. Washed out of pilot training at Santa Ana. Transferred to Radio School at Scott Field; graduated in top quartile. Earned gunner's wings on B-17s at Yuma, AZ. Joined combat crew at Charleston AFB, Autumn 1944.