Flying Fortress 22 March 1945

Betchley, George W.
Army 1st lieutenant

George W. Betchley, age 20, from Westchester County Yonkers, New York .

Parents: John H. Betchley

Service era: World War II
Schools: Yonkers High, Syracuse University

Date of death: Thursday, March 22, 1945
Death details: On June 8, 2017, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of First Lieutenant George W. Betchley, missing from World War II. First Lieutenant Betchley joined the U.S. Army Air Forces from New York, and served with the 429th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bombardment Group. On March 22, 1945, he was the navigator aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8191) with a crew of ten on a bombing mission targeting an oil refinery in Germany. The B-17 crashed in southwestern Poland near Glinica. Only two members of the crew survived. Civilians in the village near Glinica found the remains of one of the crew and buried them in the village cemetery, where they were located in 1948 by American Graves Registration Service personnel. The remains could not be identified at the time, and were interred in a U.S. military cemetery in Belgium. In 2016, these remains were disinterred and taken to the DPAA laboratory in Hawaii, where DNA testing and modern forensic analysis allowed for the identification of 1LT Betchley.
Cemetery: Tablets of the Missing at Henri-Chapelle American, Belgium

Source: National Archives, American Battle Monuments Commission, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Herald Statesman (1945)

Dunkerley, Daniel P.
Army Technical sergeant

Daniel P. Dunkerley, age 24, from Westchester County Rye, New York .

Parents: Karen Dunkerley
Spouse: Married

Service era: World War II
Schools: Port Chester High (1939)

Date of death: Thursday, March 22, 1945
Death details: Killed when his B-17 crashed in southwestern Poland near Glinica.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Daily Item (1945)

DeMatteis, Rae G
Army Staff sergeant

Rae G DeMatteis, age 20, from Blair County Altoona, Pennsylvania .

Parents: Mary DeMatteis

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Thursday, March 22, 1945
Death details: Killed when his B-17 crashed in southwestern Poland near Glinica.

Source: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Altoona Tribune (1945)

Dorman, Donald A.
Army Technican sergeant

Donald A. Dorman, age 21, from New Haven County Meriden, Connecticut .

Parents: Lillian Dorman

Service era: World War II
Schools: Lewis High graduate
Military history: Silver Star

Date of death: Thursday, March 22, 1945
Death details: On Sept. 19, 2025, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of U.S. Army Air Forces Technical Sgt. Donald A. Dorman, missing from World War II. Dorman entered the U.S. Army Air Forces in Connecticut and served with 429th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bombardment Group (Heavy). On March 22, 1945, he was the upper turret gunner aboard a B-17G Flying Fortress aircraft, serial number 44-8191, with ten crew members, which took part in a bombing mission on oil refineries in Ruhland, Germany. While over the target area, the B-17G was hit by anti-aircraft fire, damaging the plane and prompting the pilot to fly towards Allied Soviet-held territory for an emergency landing. While over Poland, the bomber was attacked by several German fighter aircraft and was critically damaged, forcing the crew to bail out. Survivor reports indicate that the enemy fighters fired on the crew as they parachuted to the ground. Of the ten crew members, eight, including Dorman, were lost at some point during or after the crash. The two survivors, who were captured by German troops and later returned to U.S. custody, were not sure how many crew members had managed to bail out. After the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) searched for and disinterred the remains of U.S. personnel missing from the European Theater. However, at the time, the AGRC investigations in the Soviet occupied zone of Europe, including Poland, were severely limited. Between 2008 and 2012, DPAA predecessor organizations undertook three field investigations into the loss of Dorman’s aircraft. These investigations determined that a B-17 “Flying Fortress” had crashed near the Polish town of Glinica in 1945. Additional investigations by DPAA followed in 2017 and 2018. Between 2019 and 2024, DPAA partnered with Alta Archaeological Consulting to plan and conduct five excavations at the site of the crash. During the excavations, teams led by Alta Archaeological Consulting recovered possible remains, which were transferred to a DPAA Laboratory for scientific analysis. There, based on the laboratory analysis, circumstantial evidence, and previous recoveries, the remains were identified as those of Dorman.

Source: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, The Journal (1945)

Fatur, Stephen J.
Army Staff sergeant

Stephen J. Fatur, age 19, from Westmoreland County Slickville, Pennsylvania .

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Thursday, March 22, 1945
Death details: On July 9, 2025, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Stephen J. Fatur, missing from World War II. Fatur entered the U.S. Army Air Forces in Pennsylvania and served with the 429th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bombardment Group. On March 22, 1945, he was the tail gunner aboard a B-17G Flying Fortress aircraft, serial number 44-8191, with ten crew members which took part in a bombing mission on oil refineries in Ruhland, Germany. During its run, the B-17G sustained damage, which prompted the pilot to fly the aircraft toward a friendly airstrip in Russia for an emergency landing. While over Poland, the bomber was engaged by several German fighter aircraft and was critically damaged, forcing the crew to bail out. Survivor reports indicate that the enemy fighters fired on the crew as they parachuted to the ground. Of the ten crew members, eight were lost due to injuries sustained at some point, Fatur among them. Two survivors were captured by German troops and later returned to U.S. custody. The B-17G was reported to have crashed north of Breslau, Poland. Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command searched for and disinterred the remains of U.S. servicemen in Europe as part of the global effort to identify and recover fallen servicemen. However, the American Graves Registration Command investigations in the Soviet occupied zone of Europe, including Poland, were severely limited. Between 2019 and 2024, DPAA partnered with Alta Archaeological Consulting to plan and conduct five excavations at the site where Fatur’s aircraft crashed. During the excavations, teams led by Alta recovered possible remains, which were transferred to a DPAA Laboratory for further analysis. The laboratory analysis and total circumstantial evidence identified the remains as those of Fatur.

Source: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Pittsburgh Press (1945)

Keuchel, Robert A.
Army Staff Sergeant

Robert A. Keuchel, age 23, from Douglas County Omaha, Nebraska .

Parents: Al Keuchel

Service era: World War II
Schools: Saint Joseph’s and South high schools, University of Omaha

Date of death: Thursday, March 22, 1945
Death details: On July 16, 2025, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified the remains of U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Robert A. Keuchel, missing from World War II. Keuchel entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Nebraska and served with the 429th Bombardment Squadron, 2nd Bombardment Group. On March 22, 1945, he was the right waist gunner aboard a B-17G Flying Fortress aircraft, serial number 44-8191, with ten crew members which took part in a bombing mission on oil refineries in Ruhland, Germany. During its run, the B-17G sustained damage, which prompted the pilot to fly the aircraft toward a friendly airstrip in Russia for an emergency landing. While over Poland, the bomber was engaged by several German fighter aircraft and was critically damaged, forcing the crew to bail out. Survivor reports indicate that the enemy fighters fired on the crew as they parachuted to the ground. Of the ten crew members, eight were lost due to injuries sustained at some point, Keuchel among them. Two survivors were captured by German troops and later returned to U.S. custody. The B-17G was reported to have crashed north of Breslau, Poland. Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command searched for and disinterred the remains of U.S. servicemen in Europe as part of the global effort to identify and recover fallen servicemen. However, the American Graves Registration Command investigations in the Soviet occupied zone of Europe, including Poland, were severely limited. Between 2019 and 2024, DPAA partnered with Alta Archaeological Consulting to plan and conduct five excavations at the site where Keuchel’s aircraft crashed. During the excavations, teams led by Alta recovered possible remains, which were transferred to the DPAA Laboratory for further analysis. The laboratory analysis and total circumstantial evidence identified the remains as those of Keuchel.

Source: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Evening World Herald (1946)

Maine, Donald F.
Army 1st lieutenant

Donald F. Maine, age 20, from Allegheny County McKeesport, Pennsylvania .

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Thursday, March 22, 1945
Death details: Killed when his B-17 crashed in southwestern Poland near Glinica.

Source: Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph (1945)

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