LUTZ Aleda E - 802 MAES 51 TCWG

Aleda E. LUTZ

"Lutzy"

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER

N-730648

AGE

29 yo

DATE OF BIRTH

9 november 1915 to Freeland MICHIGAN

ETAT

MICHIGAN

FAMILY

RANK

Lieutenant ( 17 December 1943 )

1^st female officer killed on the European front

FONCTION

Nurse

flight nurse

JOB before ENLISTEMENT

Nurse in the Hospital at Selfridge Field, MICHIGAN

DATE of ENLISTEMENT

SQUADRON

802^nd Medical Air Evacuation Squadron

GROUP

51^st Troop Carr W G - 12^nd Air Force

ARMY

Army Nurse Corps

DATE DU DECES

1 november 1944

lutz aleda tombe

lutz aleda e tombe

STATUS

KIA

PLACE OF DEATH

Between Cret of Partridge and crêt boot (Massif du Pilat) 12 km SE St-Chamond

DATA OF PLAN

Based in Istres (13-France)
Takeoff Luxeuil (70-France)
Mission: Medical evacuation between Luxeuil (70-France) and Istres (13-France)
Crash at 14:30 with 15 injured (9 and 5 allied prisoners German) transfer on board - No survivor
Weather conditions (fog, rain and frost)

CEMETERY

RHONES AMERICAN CEMETERY of Draguignan

Plan from Rhônes American Cemetery

GRAVE

Plot	Row	Grave
D	8	19

DECORATION

Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart
Air Medal

STORY

Lieut. Lutz gave much comfort and aid to wounded troops that were being evacuated from the battle front.

She came into many combat zones while evacuating wounded troops. While overseas, she was active in European, African, and Italian battlefields.

Several times she helped to evacuate wounded soldiers from the Anzio Beachhead, which was under fire from the German Army.

Lieut. Lutz was involved in 196 missions and had accumulated 814 hours in the air, more than any other army nurse. On the tragic day of her death, November 1, 1944, Lieutenant Lutz was transporting 15 wounded soldiers from Lyon, France to a hospital in Italy in a C-47 when a violent storm was encountered.

The pilot lost control of the aircraft and crashed on the northern flank of the Pilat massif in the commune of Doizieux, near the town of St Chamond, 42 - France.

There were no survivors.

Lieutenant Lutz was buried with full military honors in an American Cemetery in France. Lieut. Lutz, known as "Lutzy" to all who knew her, was 28 years old when she was killed; she is thought to be the first female killed in action in World War II.

Crash du Douglas C-47 - type A-10-DK - s/n 42-92700
Crew of C47
1^st Lieutenant	Carson M	ROBERTS	Pilot	Deceased
2^nd Lieutenant	William C	WARD	CoPilot	Deceased
Sergeant	Shirley N	BRECKENRIDGE	Mechanic	Deceased
Cpl	Howard E	KAHLER	Radio	Deceased
1^st Lieutenant	Aleda Ester	LUTZ	Nurse	Deceased - Cim Am Rhône Draguignan (83)
Passenger of C47
Capitaine	William A	STEINHURST	Passenger	Deceased - Cim Am Rhône Draguignan (83)
1^st Lieutenant	Roger N	PHILIPS	Passenger	Deceased
S/Sergeant	Leonard B	VASQUEZ	Passenger	Deceased
Sergeant	Ronald	TAKARA	Passenger	Deceased
1Cl	Ellis Frederick "Bub"	GILLESPIE	Passenger	Deceased
Pfc	Ciro J	ROMANO	Passenger	Deceased
Pvt	Edwin	BEAL	Passenger	Deceased - Cim Am Rhône Draguignan (83)
Pvt	John	FERRARA	Passenger	Deceased - Cim Am Rhône Draguignan (83)
Pvt	John B	YOUNG	Passenger	Deceased


B.Tamaillon - La Talaudière (42) Archive photo. This is a very small 8x6 photo whose definition is not extraordinary but it has the value of history document. It was taken in 1945, as noted in the back of this picture, a few months after the crash. The wreck had begun to be dismantled (we see that the flap of the drift no longer has its interlining while it is visible on the few photos taken after the crash). At the back of the photo there is the name of the three people in the foreground (from left to right: Basson - Defour - Charra). The fourth character on the back is not identified. This photo comes from the family archives of my stepfather Paul Forest (Terrenoire) who was 20 years old at the time.