Bruce C Alexander

Bruce C. Alexander graduated from Anaheim High School in 1939 where he participated in the orchestra and served as a photographer for the yearbook. He worked in the photography field before joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve on 8 February 1943 at Santa Ana, California. | | According to Capt. Smith of the 78th Fighter Group, one of the escorting fighterpilots, #1 and #2 engines already went out over the target, due to flak hits. The B-17 was escorted back with an escort of six fighters. It headed for a flak area at IJmuiden, the Netherlands. The fighters tried to contact the B-17 on VHF but there was no answer. Then they tried to signal him visually but withour any luck. It went trough the flak area and had #3 and #4 engines shot out and catching fire. The right wing fell off and the plane went down in flames. It was seen to explode as it hit the water at about 100 yards off the end of the breakwater at IJmuiden. | | Although three parachutes were seen, nine crew members were killed and only one man survived and was taken prisoner.